On 21 June 2022, the management representatives from the Rail Baltica joint venture RB Rail AS and Solidarity Transport Hub Poland (Centralny Port Komunikacyjny Sp. z o.o. – CPK) met in Riga to discuss and agree on further cooperation potential and formats. During the meeting, an agreement between the two parties was signed to formalise further partnership intentions.
“To ensure full integration with the TEN-T network, efficient connections with Poland are unquestionably significant. We are therefore particularly pleased to strengthen our collaboration with STH, who not only in a way share similar challenges but more importantly – opportunities to those in the Rail Baltica global project. Cooperation between both mega projects is seen of strategic importance in the joint efforts to strengthen the European transport area”, said RB Rail AS Management Board member and Chief Technical Officer Marc-Philippe El Beze.
Solidarity Transport Hub Poland is a planned transfer hub between Warsaw and Łódź, which will integrate air, rail, and road transport. The development envisages the construction of Solidarity Airport located 37 km west of Warsaw and covering the space of 3,000 ha. During the first stage, the airport will be able to handle 40 million passengers a year.
STH is not only a modern airport, but also envisages railway investments for almost 2000 km of new lines. The STH Railway Program consists of a total of 12 railway routes, including 10 “spokes” leading from various regions of Poland to Warsaw and the Solidarity Airport. Cross-border connections are also planned – preparatory works are already in progress for the section connecting Poland with the Czech Republic on the Katowice – Ostrava line. Connections to Ukraine (with Lviv and Kyiv) are planned and a trip to the Baltic States will be possible via the Rail Baltica line.
“Countries of the CEE region may have a unique value proposition for the entire EU. Solidarity Transport Hub Poland is committed to doing its part in developing a common High-Speed Rail system for CEE. We welcome close cooperation with Rail Baltica and I’m confident the agreement signed is a vital step towards cross-border integration, leading to greater connectivity and cohesion”, said Mikołaj Wild, CEO of the Solidarity Transport Hub.
Mikołaj Wild, the CEO at the Solidarity Transport Hub, Joanna Zasuń, Director of the International Cooperation Department and Grzegorz Bogusławski, Deputy Director for Monitoring and Coordination Project at the Railway Subprogram Implementation Department of the Solidarity Transport Hub Poland were met by RB Rail AS Management Board member and Chief Technical Officer Marc-Philippe El Beze, RB Rail AS Management Board member and Chief Financial Officer Ignas Degutis as well as Ģirts Bramans, Head of Strategic Stakeholders and Communication at RB Rail AS.
As part of the agreement RB Rail AS and STH representatives agreed on the aim to promote innovative and virtuous research to build a shared international knowledge in the key sectors. They will establish a relationship of institutional and scientific collaboration in training, research, and innovation projects. The companies will exchange their know-how by collaborating on topics of common interest, such as, but not limited to, technological innovation, maintenance, safety, and sustainability and promoting initiatives promoting scientific and technological culture and others.