Poland unveils plan for 4,700 km of new rail lines

The total cost of ZSK investments after 2035 is estimated at about PLN 610 billion (EUR 144 billion), of which about PLN 410 billion for new lines and about PLN 200 billion for modernising existing ones. Around 1,000 km are to open by 2035, 19 main lines will link the regions, 27 small and medium-sized towns gain access to the rail network and 23 additional intermodal terminals are planned; freight trains are to speed up from an average of about 34 to 56 km/h.

On 15 June 2026 the Ministry of Infrastructure presented the Integrated Rail Network (ZSK), drawn up by Port Polska and PKP PLK together with the IRMiR institute, the first such comprehensive long-term plan for Poland’s railways: 4,700 km of new lines on 19 main lines, of which about 2,700 km to high-speed standard. Around 1,000 km are to open by 2035 (including the Y line, Rail Baltica Ełk–Trakiszki, Podłęże–Piekiełko and Katowice–Ostrava); new is the Eastern Trunk Line with about 490 km of new track linking north-eastern, eastern and south-eastern Poland, and by 2050 rail passenger numbers are to rise from 439 million (2025) to 720 million. The plan replaces the earlier hub-and-spoke model of ten spokes and about 2,000 km of new line; as early as January 2026 (report of 23 January 2026), PLK and CPK discussed dual-use requirements with the defence ministry and the armed forces, when experts were still examining about 10 variants. (LOK Report, 23 Jan and 18 Jun 2026; second source: Ministerstwo Infrastruktury, 15 Jun 2026)