In September last year, Koleje Dolnośląskie and PESA Bygdoszcz signed an agreement under which the regional carrier ordered five Elf2 electric trains. The contract included an option allowing the purchase of a further 20 trainsets in the future. A decision has now been made to expand the order by eight trains, increasing the value of the agreement by PLN 232 million.

“We are systematically expanding the rail connection network in Lower Silesia. Our local-government project to take over previously closed lines from the state and restore them to passenger service is advanced and requires the continuous expansion of our carrier’s fleet—the Koleje Dolnośląskie,” says Marshal Cezary Przybylski of Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy. “Each modern Elf2 train will carry approximately 550 passengers, making it ideally suited to the needs of Lower Silesia residents, who are increasingly willing to use regional rail every year.

The total value of the carrier’s order from PESA Bydgoszcz will amount to PLN 377 million, while the cost of one train is PLN 29 million. The new rolling stock will allow Koleje Dolnośląskie and the Lower Silesian voivodeship government to continue developing the region’s connection network in the years ahead.

“Thank you for this excellent cooperation. Thanks to it, PKP has already transferred more than 200 km of lines to the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, and these are being successively revitalized and reopened. This is improving transport connections between all parts of Lower Silesia. I am very pleased that railway lines are also being revitalized in the south of the region, in places where transport connections have so far been much worse,” says Michał Dworczyk, Head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.

All the electric trainsets will be delivered to the carrier by mid-2023. The new trains will operate, among other routes, the line to Międzylesie.

“We intend to continue investing intensively in the development of rail transport in the region. Leaving aside the pandemic situation, statistical data clearly show that this means of transport is one of the most popular among Lower Silesia residents. This is a clear signal for us that rail development is worth continuing,” declares Tymoteusz Myrda, Member of the Board of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship responsible for developing railway infrastructure in the region.

Koleje Dolnośląskie can still expand its contract with PESA Bydgoszcz, which the company’s management does not rule out. The option allows a further 12 trainsets to be ordered by the end of September 2021. This investment would cost PLN 350 million.

“From the very beginning, our intention was to purchase the largest possible number of new trains as part of this rolling-stock project. Last year, we ordered 11 trainsets, including six hybrids from Newag; today, we expressed our willingness to increase this order by a further eight modern electric trains. Even now, this is the largest rolling-stock project in the history of Koleje Dolnośląskie. However, I assure you that we have not yet said our final word on this matter. We are constantly working to make maximum use of the purchase options. We still have some time to do so,” says Damian Stawikowski, President of Koleje Dolnośląskie.

The expansion of the order for modern trains for the regional carrier was made possible through cooperation with PKO Bank Polski, which prepared an offer for a preferential consolidation loan worth more than PLN 442 million.

“Another eight trains for our carrier, Koleje Dolnośląskie, is very good news for the region and its residents. It is also a strong boost for the development of KD. All this is happening thanks to our excellent cooperation with PKO Bank Polski. However, joint activities with the bank are producing good results not only in supporting railway infrastructure. Since the beginning of the pandemic, PKO BP has been involved in the fight against COVID-19. It supports us in activities aimed at protecting people’s lives and health, including equipping the voivodeship’s post-COVID clinics,” says Deputy Marshal Marcin Krzyżanowski of Prawo i Sprawiedliwość.

Consolidating liabilities provides Koleje Dolnośląskie with many benefits:

  • transferring all loans to Poland’s largest bank and supporting a rolling-stock project worth more than half a billion złoty,
  • doubling the company’s investment capacity,
  • extending the financing period for the rolling-stock project to 2036, compared with the previous 2030 deadline—the period corresponds to the depreciation period for the new trains,
  • increasing financial liquidity,
  • the possibility of obtaining EU funds to purchase further trains.

“PKO Bank Polski cooperates with local governments, supporting the development of Poland and its people. We are pleased that, thanks to the new agreement with Koleje Dolnośląskie, Lower Silesia residents will soon be able to use an additional 19 modern and environmentally friendly trains supplied by Polish companies,” comments Zbigniew Jagiełło, President of the Management Board of PKO Bank Polski.

The voivodeship government also cooperates with PKO BP, as part of a consortium with BGK, on other strategic investments for the region, such as the Dolnośląskie Centrum Sportu in Jakuszyce (project value: PLN 186 million; loan: PLN 100 million) and, soon, the Dolnośląskie Centrum Onkologii in Wrocław (value: PLN 197 million). The bank has also supported the organization of Bieg Piastów for 26 years. The agreement with Koleje Dolnośląskie will strengthen this extremely important cooperation with the voivodeship government, whose total value will exceed PLN 882 million.

Comfortable train interiors

The Elf2 model selected by the regional carrier belongs to the latest generation of electric trains designed by PESA Bydgoszcz.

“Thanks to exercising the option, Koleje Dolnośląskie will have a fleet of 13 modern five-car Elf2 trains. These low-emission, comfortable and safe vehicles are ideally suited to the needs of agglomeration and regional railways. I am convinced that both passengers and train crews will be satisfied with them, which will lead to further orders under the options,” says Krzysztof Zdziarski, President of PESA Bydgoszcz.

Trainsets can reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h. To date, PESA has delivered 42 Elf2 trainsets, in various configurations, to railway operators in Poland and abroad.

The new trains have 250 seats. Each will carry approximately 550 passengers in total. To improve travel comfort and safety, the Elf2 trains will be equipped with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, monitoring, bicycle spaces, wheelchair spaces and areas for larger luggage. In addition, the manufacturer has undertaken to service the trains to P3.2 level.

Major rolling-stock investments

Koleje Dolnośląskie is one of the fastest-growing railway carriers in the country. Thanks to effective efforts, its fleet will soon grow by a total of 19 new trains: 13 five-car electric Elf2 trains from PESA Bydgoszcz and six three-car hybrid Impuls II trains from Newag SA, with a total value of nearly PLN 550 million. These purchases will increase the number of environmentally friendly vehicles by as much as 60 percent, from 32 to 51. The entire fleet will grow by 38 percent, from 55 to 74 vehicles, while the number of passenger seats will increase by 45 percent, from just under 20,000 to almost 28,000.