PKP PLK upgrades CMK for 250 km/h, scheduled service from 2027

Status of 26 August 2026: during PKP PLK test runs, a Pendolino reached 250 km/h on the Centralna Magistrala Kolejowa (line no. 4); trains are due to run there at that speed in scheduled service next year. The line is being prepared step by step for higher speeds, which is to cut journey times between Warsaw and southern Poland by up to 25 minutes; a prerequisite was the completion of GSM-R radio, without which ETCS Level 2, needed for 250 km/h, could not go into service. According to PLK in March 2024, the modernisation costs about PLN 1.8 billion (EUR 420 million) and is paid from state and EU funds, including the national recovery and resilience plan. The date is a placeholder: the article gives only next year, i.e. 2027. (LOK Report, 26 Aug 2026)