Two trans-European corridors run through the Polish network:
- Baltic - Adriatic corridor, running from the Baltic ports of Szczecin and Gdansk to the Czech and Slovakian borders.
- North Sea - Baltic corridor, running from the German border at Frankfurt an der Oder to the Russian and Lithuanian borders, via Poznan and Warsaw.
Infrastructure Managers
PLK (Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.) is the Polish Infrastructure Manager responsible for the maintenance of rail tracks, schedule of train timetables and management of railway properties. The Polish railway network which belongs to the Core Network Corridors consists of more than 3,700 km.
Information regarding the Polish network and its features can be found at:
National implementation plan
The Polish National Implementation Plan (NIP) was delivered in 2017. It is compliant with the ERTMS European Deployment Plan with an exception: the estimated date for ETCS operativity on the line between Lowicz and Pilawa differs from the one set in the EDP.
According to the Polish NIP:
- The network will have mixed ERTMS levels; some lines will be equipped with ERTMS Level 1, such as the Grodzisk Mazowiecki – Zawiercie line, and others with ERTMS Level 2, such as the Wrocław – Opole line.
- Poland will not remove the Class B train protection system for the next 20 years, and the Class B radio system removal is expected after 2023. In fact, it is stated that, given the absence of plans to discontinue the use of Class B train control devices, all vehicles equipped with onboard ETCS equipment must be fitted with the STM.
National Implementation Plans (NIP) country by country
National Safety Authority
UTK - Urząd Transportu Kolejowego (Office of Rail Transport) is the Polish NSA, whose main tasks are the defence of passenger rights, railway market regulation and transport safety.