Work on the future high-speed rail tunnel in Łódź has reached a new milestone following the successful completion of load tests for the gantry crane that will be used to install the tunnel boring machine (TBM).
The test was conducted in the launch chamber area in the Retkinia neighborhood and was designed to verify the equipment’s performance under extreme conditions. Water-filled ballast weights totaling approximately 500 metric tons were used to simulate the maximum load.
The crane will be used to install the heaviest component of the TBM—the drill head, which weighs approximately 420 metric tons. After assembly, it will be lowered into the launch chamber in a single operation.
Testing at 110% of the rated lifting capacity confirmed that the equipment is ready for the next phases of the project. Such tests are part of the standard certification procedures applied in the European Union for lifting equipment and are supervised by the competent technical authorities.
A Key Component of the “Y” High-Speed Line
The future railway tunnel will be 4.6 km long and approximately 14 meters in diameter, making it the longest and widest single-tube railway tunnel ever built in Poland. It will include two railway tracks and allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 160 km/h.
According to the current schedule, the TBM will begin excavation in the first quarter of 2027 and is expected to reach the reception chamber near the Łódź Fabryczna station in 2028. Outfitting work and safety tests will continue through 2029.
The tunnel is one of the strategic projects developed by Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) and is an essential component of the future “Y”-shaped high-speed line, which will connect Warsaw and Poland’s new central airport with Łódź, before continuing on to Wrocław and Poznań.
Through this project, Polish authorities aim to develop a modern high-speed network that will significantly reduce travel times between the country’s main economic centers and strengthen the role of rail transport in national mobility.
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