A modernised railway line is providing faster and safer train journeys between Kraków in Makroregion południowy and Rzeszów in Makroregion wschodni, both in south-eastern Poland. Work on the E30 line, connecting major cities in the regions with local, national and international destinations, began in 2010 and is completing its last phase. The entire renovation makes the train more accessible, more attractive to both passengers and goods, and supports pan-European trade.
- 21 February 2019
I live in Tarnów. Because I study in Kraków, I often travel on this route, at least twice a week. I prefer to travel by train because it is faster and more convenient than going by car and it takes less than an hour. And after a busy week, it's nice to have a rest on the train.
Overall, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. has renovated 333 km of track, 302 turnouts and 320 km of overhead power lines. To improve safety, it has built or rebuilt 92 viaducts, 46 bridges, a flyover, 16 level crossings, 26 pedestrian crossings and two digital control centres. Stations have been reorganised, modernised and adapted for people with reduced mobility. Other works protect the environment.
Passenger trains can now reach 160 km/h, and freight 120 km/h, both major project goals. With its increased comfort, convenience, capacity and potential for connections, the line is a stronger alternative to roads.
Increased access
Passenger journeys between Kraków and Rzeszów now take just about 1.5 hours, instead of two hours. Track renovations and reconstruction of track beds ensure that the line can carry loads of up to 22.5 tons per axle, allowing heavy freight and high-capacity passenger trains.
For greater passenger convenience, 11 stations and 14 passenger stops have been built or renovated, while little-used stations and stops have either been downgraded or removed. There are now 60 new platforms along the route. These and all underground passages have been adapted for people with reduced mobility. To increase ease of use, the stations have dynamic passenger information systems.
Noise protection is provided by a total of 59 km of acoustic screens in heavily populated areas. Wild animals are also able to migrate across the line in safety thanks to special animal tunnels that have been built under the line.
International standards
Safety is another driver of the renovation project. State-of-the-art digital rail traffic control stations at Tarnów and Rzeszów, and ten substations, have been built to ensure 24-hour surveillance and remote control of the line. These stations meet the EU’s European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) standards, for efficient, safe travel for Polish and international trains.
The final stages are under way of all renovations, which also adapt this section of the E30 line to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe AGC and AGTC international standards, for smoother cross-border connections. This project is part of the largest ever investment programme for the Polish railways, the National Railway Programme for 2014-2023, covering over 9 000 km of track.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Modernization of the railway line E30 / C-E 30, Kraków-Rzeszów section, stage III” is PLN 4 112 449 110, (EUR 959 015 230) with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing PLN 2 450 169 600 (EUR 571 374 843) through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Transport and energy networks”.