Cohesion Policy: EU invests €880 million to improve Poland’s railway system

The Commission adopted two major Cohesion Policy projects, improving the Polish rail network and increasing its capacity, speed and safety. Both projects should be operational as of January 2023. Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy, Enlargement Negotiations and Regional Policy, said: “Seamless railway connections for passengers and freight will boost territorial cohesion in Poland while ensuring better quality of air in the country in the long run. This is another Cohesion Policy success story.” Almost €838 million of EU funding will help to modernise a 214.5-km section of the railway corridor between the towns of Chorzów Batory and Zduńska Wola Karsznice, between the regions of Śląskie and Łódzkie, on the Trans-European Transport Network. An additional €43 million will help to buy more than 930 platform wagons for transporting containers, with an aim to shift goods transport from road to rail in order to cut carbon emissions and increase road safety by reducing the number of trucks on the roads. Poland is the biggest beneficiary of Cohesion Policy funds. Since the country joined the EU in 2004, Cohesion Policy has financed 12,200 km of new or upgraded road, access to broadband for 9.1 million people and the creation of 151,000 jobs.