POLAND: The national government used a parliamentary committee hearing on February 26 to support the city of Kraków’s plans to secure funding to build a metro.
Stanisław Bukowiec, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, emphasised the ministry’s support for the Kraków metro, and said that he believed European Union funding would be a major source of finance to realise the scheme. Jurand Drop, Deputy Minister of Finance, added that a central government contribution was also assured.
The city of Kraków announced plans for a heavy metro in October 2024, rather than advancing plans to put trams underground as previously envisaged. The current proposals envisage a 28·5 km long, Y-shaped metro serving 29 stations. It would run form Nowa Huta in the east through the historic centre to Brożka, where it would divide, with one branch running to Opatkowice and another to Bronowice, both in the southern suburbs.
The metro is expected to carry up to 280 000 passengers a day, and 40% of Kraków’s population would be located within a 10 min walk of a station.
Kraków municipality’s road and infrastructure authority ZDM confirmed in late January that it had included funding for preliminary works on the metro project in its investment plan for 2026. It said that at the beginning of the year, Kraków metro formally entered into the design stage following completion of the feasibility and conceptual design phase.
ZDM plans to announce a tender for the preparation of technical documentation for infrastructure and rolling stock later this year, based on the results of earlier studies and market consultations. Field studies are also expected to begin later this year, covering the examination of geological and hydrological issues, as well as building monitoring.
The reconstruction of the city’s Rondo Mogilskie square is also being planned to include provision for the planned route of the metro.
- On February 3, operator MPK Kraków ordered 15 trams 33 m long from Pesa Bydgoszcz for 273m złoty. The deal is an option on the 1·8bn złoty framework contract that Kraków city council signed with Pesa in April 2025 for the supply of 90 Twist 3.0 light rail vehicles. The first firm contract was confirmed in August, and the second in December.
