Lower Silesia is not slowing down its railway revolution. If all 55 Elfs, which will soon serve Koleje Dolnośląskie passengers, were coupled together, they could stand simultaneously at the platform at Wrocław Główny and at Wrocław Muchobór station, five kilometres away.
PESA Bydgoszcz entered all the tenders for electric vehicles announced by Koleje Dolnośląskie and submitted the most advantageous offer in each of them over the course of five years.
— We are placing a strong emphasis on developing modern rail transport. This means not only new lines that, as a regional government, we are bringing back into service, but also the purchase of modern trains. Lower Silesia is Poland’s infrastructure hub, and the new Koleje Dolnośląskie trains will serve the people of Lower Silesia well in their daily travel — says Paweł Gancarz, Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
In this way, Koleje Dolnośląskie has already used the full allocation from two tenders: five vehicles with an option for another 20 (the first 25 Elfs, which have been carrying passengers for two years), as well as 10 vehicles with an option for another 10 (they recently began testing on the Wrocław–Oława–Brzeg route).
Everything indicates that these brand-new vehicles, just a month old, will be the ones to embark on Koleje Dolnośląskie’s new route from Wrocław to Oława and Brzeg.
— If there were ever an opportunity to couple all the Elf vehicles operating in Lower Silesian colours in two years’ time, they would stretch for five kilometres. The trains will improve Koleje Dolnośląskie’s service while also entering new routes, including those to Oława and Brzeg as early as December this year — says Michał Rado, Deputy Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship responsible for rail transport.
In the meantime, Koleje Dolnośląskie concluded another tender for the purchase of 10 additional electric vehicles, with an option for another ten. Once again, the only bidder was PESA from Bydgoszcz. Today, the companies’ presidents signed the agreement for this purchase: Damian Stawikowski, president of Koleje Dolnośląskie, and Krzysztof Zdziarski, president of PESA Bydgoszcz.
– Yesterday, during the Lower Silesian Local Government Congress, safety was discussed. In the case of trains, we must realise that a cyberattack on, for example, the traction network could mean that we would only be able to transport the people of Lower Silesia using diesel vehicles. I hope that, now that we have purchased electric vehicles, it will also be possible to open up access to funding for diesel rolling stock – said Damian Stawikowski, president of Koleje Dolnośląskie. He added: –The diesel vehicles we have already ordered from PESA are not like those from years ago: they are eco-diesels that emit several dozen percent less exhaust into the environment than 20- to 30-year-old trains. Today, however, we are pleased with the purchase of additional electric vehicles.
Thus, PESA’s factory in Bydgoszcz will produce trains from three Koleje Dolnośląskie orders: 20 trains from the 10+10 allocation from 2023, 10 diesel vehicles, and—following the signing of the agreement—another 10 Elfs.
– This is a great satisfaction for us: Koleje Dolnośląskie has chosen PESA once again. Our cooperation is an example of a long-term partnership based on trust and a shared goal—creating modern, comfortable and environmentally friendly transport for the region’s residents. We are pleased that the Elfs perform well in service and genuinely improve the quality of everyday journeys – said Krzysztof Zdziarski, president of PESA Bydgoszcz.
Poland’s largest Elf fleet will serve residents of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship on journeys across the region, as well as on services to the Lubusz, Greater Poland and Opole voivodeships. All Elfs purchased so far were co-financed with EU funds under the KPO and FEDŚ programmes; this time, too, Koleje Dolnośląskie will seek external funding to support the purchase.
The contract value for a single Elf, including training and maintenance by the manufacturer, is PLN 43.8 million.
Koleje Dolnośląskie is the carrier operating Poland’s fastest regional services. It runs in Lower Silesia and also to neighbouring voivodeships: Lubusz, Greater Poland and, from December, Opole. The white-and-yellow trains can also take passengers to the Czech Republic and Germany. The current pool of ordered trains totals 40 vehicles—30 electric Elfs and 10 eco-diesels. However, the carrier has the option to use a further pool of 30 trains—10 electric and 20 diesel. Once the carrier’s current orders are fulfilled, KD’s total fleet of trains will exceed 120 vehicles.