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2023-07-13 00:00:00
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The Central Communication Port (CPK) in Poland has awarded a contract to South Korea's state-owned Korean National Railway (KNR) and Dohwa Engineering to design a new high-speed rail link connecting Katowice, Poland, with Ostrava, Czechia. The project, worth approximately 30 million euros, is poised to enhance not only passenger travel but also rail freight transport and spur the development of a new intermodal terminal.
As seasoned players in the railway sector, KNR has experience in executing railway construction projects and technical consultancies, including those involving high-speed rail. In contrast, Dohwa Engineering has a proven track record of accomplishing over 7,000 engineering and construction projects on a national and international scale.
The high-speed Katowice-Ostrava line will traverse through the cities of Rybnik, Żory, Jastrzębie Zdrój, and Wodzisław Śląski, crossing the Polish-Czech border en route to Ostrava. This route is novel as a direct connection between Jastrzębie Zdrój and Wodzisław Śląski currently does not exist. Along the line, new railway stations are envisioned, with a crucial highlight being the potential establishment of a new intermodal terminal in Wodzisław Śląski.
Inclusion of this intermodal terminal could prove to be a strategic addition to the existing rail freight network, given the presence of hubs like Ostrava, Katowice, Slawkow, and Dabrowa Gornicza in the region.
Although the high-speed Katowice-Ostrava line is expected to primarily serve passenger trains, portions of the line will be open to freight services as well. The new line may relieve existing routes from passenger traffic, thereby availing more capacity for rail freight. Given the economic significance of the region, even minor additions to the network or extra track capacity can be beneficial.
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