The two firms will develop new high-speed cross-border rail connections on the European 1,435mm standard-gauge.
The new agreement includes the joint preparation of a feasibility study for the planned new railway lines between Poland and Ukraine. It identifies the construction of a high-speed line on the Warsaw – Lviv – Kyiv route – an extension of CPK’s existing plans, which only went as far as Lviv. The line will have a maximum operating speed of 250 km/h.
CPK will work with Ukrainian Railways to exchange knowledge and experience, and to transfer its technical standards for high-speed rail, and its passenger transport model.
“A modern, high-capacity and efficient infrastructure is a key element for safety in the Three Seas region. In the long term, the development of transport infrastructure will be a very important element in the reconstruction of Ukraine,” said Mark Brzezinski, US Ambassador to Poland.
“This is a historic moment,” added Mikołaj Wild, CEO of CPK. “Together with Ukrainian Railways, we are starting joint work on the Warsaw-Lviv-Kiev HSR line. The shortest route from Ukraine to the EU goes through Poland and CPK.”
Volodymyr Shemaev, director of the Office of International Projects of Ukrainian Railways, concluded, “Today’s agreement aims to improve railway links between Ukraine, Poland, and the EU, facilitate passenger traffic, improve economic exchange, and strengthen the safety of our transport corridors. I hope that cooperation with the CPK will bring us closer to the construction of the first HSR with a European gauge and will be an important step towards Ukraine’s integration with the EU.”
As part of the new agreement, CPK and Ukrainian Railways will create a working group to fulfil the objectives of the project. The group will carry out workshops, joint research, and exchange information.
CPK and Ukrainian Railways will also jointly seek opportunities to obtain EU funding for the planned lines. EU standards for the design, construction, and maintenance of railway infrastructure, including signaling and GSM-R, are to be implemented as part of the partnership. In the future, both parties also agreed to jointly develop a management model for the constructed lines.