Polish railways to carry 500 mln passengers in 2026, says PM
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that Polish railways are expected to carry half a billion passengers in the upcoming year, exceeding the total population of the European Union.
Speaking in the southern town of Mecina on Thursday, where construction is underway on what will become Poland’s longest railway tunnel, Tusk said the investment would significantly reduce travel times and improve daily life in the region.
"This is a major undertaking," Poland's Prime Minister stressed.
"The journey from Nowy Sacz to Krakow will take just one hour instead of the current 2 hours and 40 minutes on average. That's a real change in quality of life for tens of thousands of people and a chance for the region to develop," he added.
The Mecina–Mordarka tunnel, expected to span 3.8 kilometres, is being built as part of a wider modernisation programme. Tusk was accompanied on his visit by infrastructure minister Dariusz Klimczak.
According to Tusk, PKP Intercity is expected to carry more than 80 million passengers this year alone.
"These figures speak volumes about the leap we've made over the past two years," the Prime Minister said.
mj/ jch/ ao/