– More than halfway through, work is underway to secure the walls of the already widened railway tunnel near Trzcińsko on the Wrocław–Jelenia Góra line. The technology used in the tunnel allows work to be carried out while trains continue to run – explains Karol Jakubowski, press spokesperson for PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.
And he adds: – The investment by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. in the 300-metre tunnel near Trzcińsko increases the railway’s capacity in Lower Silesia. Once the work is completed, trains will be able to run simultaneously on both tracks on the Wrocław–Jelenia Góra route. Until now, due to the insufficient width, regulations prohibited this.
The modern “TEM” machine widened the structure to the required dimensions, from approximately 8.3 m to more than 11 m. The spokesperson says:
The tunnel’s permanent lining is now being built using movable formwork. Half of the final tunnel lining has already been completed. The walls of the structure create a space that enables railway traffic to be operated safely while the work continues. More than 30 trains pass through the tunnel each day.
What is the cost of the investment?
PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. has allocated nearly PLN 130 million net to reconstruct the tunnel, using budget funds and recapitalization funds. Completion of the project “Revitalization of the line tunnel at km 118.700 together with accompanying infrastructure,” which forms part of the broader project “Works on railway line no. 274 Wrocław–Zgorzelec on the Wrocław–Jelenia Góra section and adjacent connecting lines,” is currently scheduled for the second quarter of 2024.