Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) has signed the second of three contracts to construct a high-speed rail (HSR) tunnel in Łódź, Poland.

The tunnel will be over 4 kilometres long, forming an essential element of the “Y” route that will connect Warsaw with Łódź, Poznań and Wrocław.

CPK plans to complete the construction of this tunnel in conjunction with the launch of the first stage of the new CPK airport.

The CPK high-speed tunnel© CPK

Construction of the CPK tunnel in Łódź will take place in three parts. The first package began in September this year and includes work to strengthen the foundations of the Łódź Cultural Centre (ŁDK). This investment is being carried out by Keller Polska.

CPK has now signed a contract for the second stage, which covers the construction of the two chambers for the tunnel boring machine (TBM), which will launch at Retkinia and be received in Fabryczna near ŁDK. The contract has been awarded to Budimex and is valued at almost 147 million PLN (34 million EUR).

The third stage of the investment will include the drilling of  the  CPK railway  tunnel.

Marcin Horała, Deputy Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Government Plenipotentiary for CPK said:

“Our predecessors made the fateful decision in 2011 where the preparations for the construction of a high-speed line connecting Warsaw, Łódź and Sieradz with Wrocław and Poznań were suspended. No one can give this time back to the residents. That is why it is only today – thanks to the CPK investments – that the construction of the Y-shaped railway route can begin. The contract for the long-distance tunnel, which we are signing today, is a historic moment for Łódź. The construction of the tunnel designed to connect Łódź and the CPK airport as part of the designed High-Speed Rail system is starting.”

The Retkinia chamber will be at the southwestern end of the tunnel and will be designed as a launching shaft for the TBM. This facility will accommodate an evacuation area, technical rooms and evacuation staircases.

The planned high-speed rail tunnel will cover over 4 kilometres in length© CPK

The recently awarded contract incorporates the development of design plans and specifications, as well as the construction of the launching and receiving chambers. The contractor will also ensure that proper traffic organisation and restoration works are delivered throughout the project.

Maciej Olek, Member of the Management Board of Budimex said:

“The construction of the launching chambers for TBMs is a responsible construction task, requiring the involvement of appropriate engineering and technical resources along with ensuring the highest technical standards of execution and control of these works.”

The construction of the Retkinia chamber is expected to take 10 months, while the Fabryczna chamber has a construction period of around 13 months.