The railway line linking the city of Olsztyn and the town of Działdowo, both in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie region in north-eastern Poland, has entered the second stage of its modernisation. This part of the work is updating the 32 km of rail line and its surrounding infrastructure on the southern half of line 216, from the provincial capital Olsztynek to Działdowo. Journey times on the line will be shorter once the project is completed, for more attractive rail transport within the region and reduced inward investment and business costs thanks to the improved connections.
Działdowo-Olsztyn railway line upgrade for faster, more convenient travel in eastern Poland
- 14 August 2019
This second phase of the renovation addresses travel bottlenecks by modernising 16 road crossings, five bridges, 10 viaducts, 46 culverts and 18 rail crossings, as well as the rails along this part of the line. The project will construct a bridge, a new viaduct, 18 new culverts and reconstruct the station at Nidzica, a town halfway along the project section.
The modernisation not only makes the region more competitive. It makes it more sustainable as convenient, reliable rail travel encourages people to choose safe, environmentally friendly trains instead of cars and trucks.
Faster connections
Investment in the Działdowo-Olsztyn service is vital to the region’s development. It encourages business activities while promoting access to education, work and commercial centres in towns and cities along the line.
In particular, the works will reduce journey times between major centres, so that inhabitants and visitors can more conveniently travel across Warmińsko-Mazurskie to jobs, schools, universities and leisure activities. Travel along the whole 83 km line from Działdowo to Olsztyn, where there is a university, will be reduced to about one hour. The journey on the inter-regional train from Olsztyn to central Warsaw will be 17 minutes faster, taking 2h10.
A modern network
This 15-month project completes the 21-month renovation of the entire Olsztyn-Działdowo line. The first stage, completed in June 2018, covered the section between Olsztyn and Olsztynek. In addition to renovating rails and infrastructure, this earlier part of the work improved passenger facilities.
It built two new stops – Olsztyn-Dajtki and Olsztyn Centre – providing services to residents of the Dajkti areas and to students commuting to university buildings in central Olsztyn. Comfort and convenience are priorities. Ramps, guides and access routes provide easy access to platforms and trains for people with reduced mobility, while bicycle racks near the platforms allow cyclists to travel conveniently to and from the stations.
Investment in the Działdowo-Olsztyn railway line is part of a wider National Railway Programme for Eastern Poland. Lines between Ełk and Korsze, Ełk and Szczytno and Olsztyn and Ilawa will be updated, for a more modern railway network in Warmińsko-Mazurskie.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Works on railway line no 216 on the section Działdowo-Olsztyn” is EUR 110 315 437, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 93 768 121 through the “Development of Eastern Poland” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Transport and energy networks”.