Maciej Lasek on CPK: we fixed this project after the PiS government

that's how it is CPK

„We definitely didn't ruin it. We improved this project following the actions of the Law and Justice party,” stated the government representative for the Central Communication Port during an interview with „Tak Jest,” addressing Karol Nawrocki’s claims concerning the CPK. He further remarked that the president „was either misinformed or misunderstood regarding the investment.”

On his inaugural national visit after taking office, President Karol Nawrocki endorsed a legislative proposal related to the Central Communication Port Act. As he expressed in the Kalisz market square, the entire CPK initiative’s execution „offers everyone hope and an opportunity to finally leverage our central location in Europe.” „Poland must become Europe’s commercial and communication center,” he added.

READ MORE ABOUT PRESIDENT NAWROCKI’S VISION FOR CPK >>>

„This project was fundamentally impractical; it lacked financing. It was also a venture that misled the public,” Maciej Lasek commented on TVN24. He stressed that the promises made by the PiS party regarding high-speed rail „to every locality, even the smallest, were not feasible.”

High-speed rail and communication exclusion

– This is no longer a high-speed railway; it has turned into a low-speed railway – he remarked, clarifying that express trains should link major urban areas, while smaller towns ought to be connected through alternative methods.

Lasek referenced the views of Andrzej Adamczyk, the former Minister of Infrastructure from 2015 to 2018, who acknowledged in a conversation with Minister Horała that the High-Speed Rail system fails to address the issue of transport exclusion. „While it may seem unusual, I concur with Minister Adamczyk on this matter,” Lasek indicated, highlighting the substantial construction costs involved.

„Constructing one kilometer of high-speed rail requires at least 100 million. For the segment we are developing, the initial phase of the High-Speed Rail from Warsaw through Łódź to Wrocław and Poznań, it is 150 million,” he clarified.

CPK lacked financing

Addressing the so-called „Y” line, the route from Warsaw-Łódź-Wrocław and the line from Katowice to Ostrava with a branch to Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Lasek countered the president’s claims regarding the exclusion of Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Łomża, and Włocławek. „The investment option for the high-speed rail line to Włocławek has already been chosen, which we will pursue in the subsequent phase. Construction has already commenced in Łomża, or rather on Łomża. Today, we are reconnecting Łomża to Poland by rail after many, many years,” he asserted.

„We received an airport project limited to 34 million passengers. We received a project that effectively had no guaranteed funding,” he stated. He pointed out that the prior government secured the funding after losing the elections, evading accountability for public finances.

„PLN 3.3 billion was not allocated to this initiative because the finance minister of the previous government was unwilling to provide capital and fulfill Minister Horała’s request,” he added. He also highlighted that the voluntary land acquisition program, aimed at minimizing expropriations, was halted in April 2023.

„The president was misled”

Lasek suggested that the president „might have been misled or may not fully grasp the project.”

– Overall, I have the impression that the president was either misinformed or does not comprehend certain aspects, as this project currently has, as they say, a significant amount of work to accomplish, it is facing challenges, and we have secured financing for it – he commented.

When inquired about the possibility of collaboration with the mayor, Lasek responded that such cooperation is already in progress. „Interestingly, the mayor indicated that he commits us to completing the CPK by 2031, with the finalization in 2032. Let me remind you, the airport in Baranów is set to handle its first flights in 2032. In 2031, it is intended to be completed for testing and certification,” he noted. He added that the Warsaw-Łódź railway segment will be ready in 2032, while the connections to Wrocław and Poznań are expected to be completed in 2035.

Train speeds within the high-speed rail system

Lasek elaborated that the CPK track layout was designed for speeds of 350 km/h, even though the previous administration proposed trains capable of 250 km/h, asserting that Polish manufacturers could supply such rolling stock.

„The issue, however, is that no Polish company currently manufactures rolling stock that can achieve 250 kilometers per hour,” he said, noting the necessity for extensive research and development initiatives. The current administration has planned for a speed of 320 km/h for the fastest trains, but the line will also accommodate trains operating at 250 km/h and 200 km/h. „This will reduce the fastest train journey from Kalisz to Poznań to 35 minutes. Presently, it

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