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Poland is currently developing an ambitious megaproject that will connect two major cities with a new international airport and high-speed rail hub.
Poland is currently developing an ambitious megaproject involving a new airport and railway (Image: Foster Partners)
Poland is making significant progress on its long-planned gateway to Europe, which will become one of the largest transport hubs in the region. The mega-airport, located between Warsaw and the smaller city of Łódź, aims to welcome 40 million passengers annually, putting it in the same league as Heathrow and Istanbul.
Current Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has said the airport, known as Port Polska, to be located 25 miles from the capital, Warsaw, will “completely revolutionise travel across the country and beyond”. Authorities have earmarked €30 billion (£27 billion) for the construction, which is set to begin this year. The project has been hailed as a game-changer for travel in the region, with flights connecting to major international destinations. Meanwhile, high-speed rail services will offer a land option for travellers wanting to reach key cities like Kraków, Gdańsk and Wrocław.
The scheduled opening of the massive megaproject is slated for 2032 after construct begins this year (Image: Foster Partners)
The project received approval in 2017; however, progress has been hindered by a corruption scandal involving the previous Government. Mr Tusk, who was elected in 2023, has vowed to give the scheme “a clean start".
According to Euronews, 40% of passengers are expected to arrive at the airport via train, particularly from Warsaw, with the journey taking only 20 minutes. A vast 2,585-hectare (10-square-mile) plot of land will be developed, featuring two parallel runways approximately 13,000 feet in length. A third and possibly fourth are expected to be added later. Adjacent to the airstrips will be a passenger terminal and railway station.
The design of the transport hub is being led by British architectural studio Foster + Partners, who are planning a landside interchange plaza "animated by lush greenery and flooded with natural light".
With construction set to begin this year, the scheduled opening of the massive megaproject is slated for 2032.
The goal is to bring all major Polish cities to within 2.5 hours’ travel time, including Warsaw (Image: Getty)
In a new update on January 12, the company delivering the overhaul has celebrated a higher-than-expected participation in a voluntary land acquisition programme to make room for the project. The company, Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), states that it now owns nearly 65% of the land and 235 of the 310 residential buildings (76%) required for the hub. Those properties will now be subject to the legal expropriation process, which allows a government to take private property for public use.
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CPK said the voluntary programme is new for Poland, which didn’t have an organised alternative to expropriation before, and provides a model for future infrastructure projects.
“The results achieved have exceeded our expectations,” said Dr Filip Czernicki, CPK’s chief executive. “The decision to resume the programme in July 2024 gave owners the opportunity to sell their properties on attractive terms. Thanks to this, it will be easier for them to start a new life elsewhere, and it will allow us to break ground and begin the construction phase of the new transport hub in Poland.”
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