PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe and a consortium of Budimex, Budimex Kolejnictwo, and Gülermak signed a construction contract for the Szczyrzyc – Tymbark rail section, as part of the new Podłęże–Piekiełko rail line project, the largest investment PKP PLK is implementing in the south of Poland.
The contract will be carried out over a period of 46 months (4 years) and mid-2029, a modern railway line will be completed between Szczyrzyc and Tymbark, with parameters allowing passenger trains to reach speeds of up to 160 km/h and freight trains up to 120 km/h.
PLN 1.7 billion (EUR 400 million) is the value of the project that will be financed from the state budget.
By mid-2029, tracks, tunnels, viaducts and bridges will be built on the section between Szczyrzyc and Tymbark.
Under the contract the 8 km Szczyrzyc – Tymbark rail section will be constructed running through foothill terrain, with the design including two tunnels totalling 4.8 km (one 3.8 km tunnel and another 1 km tunnel), as well as railway bridges and viaducts. The project will also include the construction of an overhead electrification system and a digital train traffic control system compliant with the latest European standards. All level crossings with local roads will be grade-separated.
Under the project, a new stop will be constructed in the middle of the section, equipped with ramps and guiding paths, the platform will be accessible for people with reduced mobility. The stop will feature shelters, benches, information boards, and bicycle racks. It will offer quick access to destinations such as Limanowa, Mszana Dolna, and Gdów.
The new section will allow the operation of trains running from Kraków heading towards Limanowa and Nowy Sącz.
“This is an important milestone in the implementation of the ‘Podłęże–Piekiełko’ project. Until now, we have mainly focused on the modernisation of the existing 19th-century railway line no. 104 [part of this project which will be modenised]. We’ve now signed a contract to build line no. 622 – a completely new route that will ultimately provide a convenient rail connection between Kraków, Limanowa, and Nowy Sącz,” said Mateusz Wanat, Director of the Southern Region, Centre for Investment Implementation at PKP PLK.
The Szczyrzyc – Tymbark rail section is another stage in the implementation of the largest railway investment in southern Poland. Advanced construction works are currently underway on five sections of the modernised line no. 104 (Chabówka–Nowy Sącz).
Contractors are working at Limanowa station and on the Limanowa – Klęczany – Nowy Sącz section, Chabówka – Rabka Zaryte, and Rabka Zaryte – Mszana Dolna – Fornale sections. In August, trains returned to the first modernised section of track from Chabówka to Rabka-Zdrój and frther sections will be put into operation by PKP PLK in the coming months.
By 2030, a new railway line will connect Kraków with Podhale and the Sądecka region. The fastest trains will complete the Kraków–Nowy Sącz route in around 60 minutes, while the journey from Kraków to Zakopane will take around 90 minutes. The investment will open new opportunities for the economic and social development of the region, supporting improvements in transport, tourism, and connectivity across Małopolska (Lesser Poland).
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