A step change in Polish railway mobility.
In a project of great importance for the development of the region, the country and international transport, the Polish State Railways have embarked upon the construction of a new railway line (Podłęże - Szczyrzyc - Tymbark / Mszana Dolna) and the modernisation of the existing Chabówka-Nowy Sącz line, known as line no. 104. Employing the latest technology, a greater number of trains will be able to travel at faster speeds along the newly built line, while the upgraded line will comply with the standards of the Trans-European Transport Network TEN-T. This requires changes to the alignment of the line, the construction of new tunnels and modifications to engineering structures.
Overall, the project will involve the construction or modernisation of 82 railway bridges, 33 railway viaducts, 74 rail-road crossings and 326 culverts.
The project will contribute to more efficient, comfortable and faster rail travel to some of the most popular tourist destinations in Poland (Tatry, Beskidy, Gorce) from Cracow and other large agglomerations, thus fostering regional development. Shifting passenger flows from roads to railways will result in reduced emissions of environmental pollutants. Residents of towns and cities along the new line will gain access to convenient means of transport. The industrial and economic importance of municipalities in southern Poland will increase.
An extended railway network will also create a favourable environment for the development of international transport between the north and south of Europe on the Baltic – Balkans – Black Sea axis, and will relieve the heavily used freight lines in the Upper Silesia region. The project will also fill the gap in the TEN-T network.
