It will be the fastest railway line in Poland. EU will forward about 3 billion PLN (780 million euro) to Polish National Railway (PKP) to finance the change of tracks between Gdynia and Katowice. In seven years from now a journey form the Tricity to Silesia will last approximately four hours.
That subsidy could be expected, because a year ago Brussels authorized the "Fourth transport corridor" running form Tricity to Silesia as the priority for the whole EU. Pomerania region's local government and PKP has just received a confirmation saying that EU is going to start passing on the subsidy this year. The modernization will begin in 2007: tracks will be replaced on the whole route between Gdynia and Katowice. New - more persistent tracks will allow trains to go faster. Now, the maximum speed on the route is 120 km/h,100 km/h at average.
-We think that after the modernization trains will be able to accelerate to 160 km/h and theoretically - even to 200 km/h - says Krzysztof Lnƒcucki the PKP PLK spokesman - It means that it will be possible to cover the distance between Gdansk to Warsaw in 2 hours. To make it happen, we will have to eliminate sharp arcs. For this reason, the tracks will run somewhere else on some sections.
EU will help in equipping the whole line in Automatic Train Control. - It guarantees maximum safety - says Lancucki.
However, Brussels will not finance new trains. Polish railway operators will have to buy them. - We are thinking about Pendolino. It has already been tested in Poland and has engine, which is appropriate to our traction. And it is cheaper than French TGV - persuades Lancucki.
The section Gdansk - Warsaw will be modernized in parallel with the one from Warsaw to Katowice. The whole should be ready be the end of 2013.
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