Warsaw railway junction: modernization of the cross-city line + second cross-city line (tunnel under the Vistula)

A program for rebuilding the Warsaw cross-city junction announced by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe, composed of two parts. The first is a thorough modernization of the existing cross-city line between Warszawa Zachodnia and Warszawa Wschodnia — reconstruction of the track layout, overhead traction network and traffic control equipment, construction of the new Warszawa Solec and Warszawa de Gaulle'a (Nowy Świat) stops, and reconstruction of the Ochota, Śródmieście and Centralna stations. The second part is the construction of an entirely new, double-track cross-city line dedicated to long-distance traffic, routed in a tunnel under the Central Station, the metro lines and the Vistula. The total estimated cost is approx. PLN 9 billion (approx. PLN 5 billion for the modernization + approx. PLN 4 billion for the new line). The scope of this record covers only the through cross-city lines and the second tunnel; the separately conducted reconstructions of the Warszawa Wschodnia and Warszawa Zachodnia stations are separate investments and are not counted here, in order to avoid double-counting of costs.

Timeline

1. Announced Feb 2026
2. Original date 2040
3. Current date 2040

Change history

• Feb 2026 stage: announced

Significance

The Warsaw cross-city line is the most important through rail corridor in Poland, carrying agglomeration, regional and long-distance traffic connecting the east and west of the country. The modernization of the existing cross-city line alone was deemed insufficient by PKP PLK, which is why a new, double-track line in a tunnel is planned in parallel, intended to increase the junction's capacity by approx. 20 train pairs per hour and to separate long-distance traffic from agglomeration traffic. The undertaking heralds the largest changes at the Central Station since its opening in 1975. The investment is, however, only at the conceptual and design stage, and its implementation and schedule (modernization in 2031–2035, the new line by approx. 2040) depend on securing financing, which makes it a megaproject with an uncertain go/no-go status.

Sources 4

Every fact on this card comes from the sources below. Next to each source — which fields it supports.

1. PLK zapowiada rewolucję w Warszawie. Będzie nowa linia średnicowa! ↗
   Rynek Kolejowy Feb 2026
   DescriptionSignificanceStageInvestor
2. PLK: przebudowa średnicy w Warszawie od 2031 do 2035 r. ↗
   Rynek Kolejowy Feb 2026
   DescriptionSignificance
3. Nowa linia średnicowa i remont starej w Warszawie za 9 mld zł. PKP PLK planują gigantyczny tunel pod Wisłą i Dworcem Centralnym ↗
   InvestMap.pl Feb 2026
   CostOriginal dateCurrent date

   Cost „około 5 mld zł"

   Current date „mogłaby zostać oddana do użytku w 2040 roku"

4. Poza modernizacją warszawskiej linii średnicowej PKP PLK planują zbudować drugą linię ↗
   WNP.pl Feb 2026
   StatusStageInvestorCurrent date

   Status „PLK są obecnie dopiero w momencie rozpoczynania prac koncepcyjnych i projektowych"

   Original date „Spółka szacuje, że nowa linia mogłaby zostać otwarta w 2040 r."

   Investor „Poza modernizacją warszawskiej linii średnicowej PKP PLK planują zbudować drugą linię"

   locations „Warszawa Zachodnia i Warszawa Wschodnia"