Wedoany.com Report on Feb 10th, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PLK) has terminated the agreement with Przedsiębiorstwo Budowy Dróg i Mostów (PBDiM) for the construction of the Łódź Railway Tunnel, involving the tunnel works connecting the Fabryczna, Kaliska, and Żabieniec stations. PLK stated in a press release that this decision aims to ensure the safety of residents and property along the route and to guarantee the stable and professional progress of the project. The termination covers the construction agreements for the large-diameter main tunnel, the Łódź Koziny station, and the Włókniarzy traction substation.
PLK indicated that in recent months, intensive mediation had been conducted with the contractor in an attempt to restart the Łódź Railway Tunnel project. However, even with supportive measures, PBDiM was unable to resolve organizational, financial, and technical issues. PLK board member Marcin Mochocki noted: "The problems included a lack of necessary resources, insufficient technical experience with tunnel boring machines, and serious financial difficulties." The review showed that the contractor was unable to continue the investment as per the contract.
During the excavation of the Łódź Railway Tunnel, efficiency was described as extremely low. The contract originally stipulated that the tunnel boring machine would complete the main tunnel section within 14 months, but after 4.5 years, only 1.5 kilometers had been advanced, with the machine active for only 17.5% of the time. Since November 10, 2024, the cutterhead has been stuck, and the contractor has not presented a credible plan for resuming work. The 14 plans submitted over the past 15 months pushed the completion deadline to August 2028.
Following the termination of the Łódź Railway Tunnel contract, PLK has initiated the site takeover process to secure the investment and select a new contractor, with the goal of safely restarting the project. The project plans for a tunnel system with a total length of 7.5 kilometers and 17 kilometers of track, including a 3-kilometer double-track main tunnel and 4.5 kilometers of single-track tunnels, featuring three underground stations at a maximum depth of about 26 meters. The initial project value exceeded 2 billion Polish złoty (approximately 477 million euros), was co-financed by Europe, and was originally scheduled for completion this year.
