A modern and environmentally friendly PKP Intercity train wash will be built in Krakow

PKP Intercity press release:

PKP Intercity invests in modern infrastructure solutions as part of the largest investment program in its history. In Krakow, at the local parking station, the construction of an ecological seasonal automatic car wash. The facility will be built within one year from the start of construction, and the contractor for the contract worth PLN 21.9 million gross is Budimex.

The investment is carried out in the “design and build” mode. Thus, in the first stage, the contractor – Budimex – prepared and presented the design of the facility. In the second phase, which has just begun, it will deal with its implementation. The launch of the car wash is planned for the beginning of next year, and the contract value is over PLN 21.9 million gross. The construction of the car wash will enable comprehensive cleaning of trains starting their run in the capital of Małopolska, and thus increase the comfort of people traveling with PKP Intercity.

The process of modernization of the Polish railway is not only investments in the purchase and modernization of rolling stock, but also infrastructure projects. This is perfectly illustrated by the example of an automatic car wash that will be built in Krakow. This is particularly important in the context of the plans of our national carrier, which intends to systematically expand its offer in the coming years, and thus expand its train fleet. Modern parking stations will allow us to maintain a high level of vehicle maintenance, which will bring us closer to our goal, which is safe, comfortable, predictable, accessible and environmentally friendly railways,” emphasizes the Minister of Infrastructure, Andrzej Adamczyk.

The construction of the car wash is carried out as part of the project “Railway for good connections – modernization of wagons and locomotives for PKP Intercity S.A. [POIS .05.01.00-00-0022/17-00]”, Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment 2014-2020. In total , PKP Intercity obtained PLN 653,730,052.05 in subsidies from EU funds under the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment 2014-2020.

We support the investment effort in the Polish railways, because it drives not only the development of railway companies, including PKP Intercity, but also the entire Polish economy. The new car wash in Krakow is one of seven such investments planned in Poland, which is part of a gigantic program. Investments in railways worth tens of billions of zlotys include new stations, modernized railway lines, modern and comfortable rolling stock, and rebuilt technical facilities. The car wash will be environmentally friendly, will improve the quality of services for passengers, as well as improve the working conditions of the staff of the Krakow parking station, which is very important. State Treasury companies must be leaders of change in this respect, and they are, which I am very happy about,” says Maciej Małecki, Secretary of State at the Ministry of State Assets.

PKP Intercity focuses on ecological solutions

The installation for washing train sets is being built on the site at 17 Składowa Street, on track No. 11. Over a length of 480 meters, this track will receive a tight surface with a foundation on a concrete slab, which is also to be dripped both in front of and behind the car wash. The facility will be equipped with a sewage treatment plant, which will neutralize the chemicals used for washing and enable the reuse of water as part of a closed circuit.

Rail is the most environmentally friendly means of public transport. We can call it the green transport of the future. That is why we are investing in the expansion of our fleet and fighting against transport exclusion that affects Poles. To service the growing number of vehicles, facilities such as the one being built in Krakow are needed. They will allow for a high standard of technical service of our fleet, as well as have a measurable impact on the comfort of travel and the work of our crews. The new car wash in Krakow is one of seven such investments planned throughout Poland – says Krzysztof Świerczek, Member of the Management Board of PKP Intercity.

The car wash will also be equipped with a stand for protecting the chassis against icing and an RFID system, thanks to which the initial washing settings will be selected automatically based on the EVN number. Solutions designed in this way will ensure the possibility of external washing of the sides and upper and lower slants of vehicle boxes.

The facility is to operate continuously and serve up to 20 trains a day during the day. The car wash will be adapted to service the carrier’s electric multiple units and wagon sets. One cycle of washing the train will take about 5 minutes (assuming one pass) or up to 20 minutes (with three). The train inside the car wash will move at a speed of 3-5 km/h.

We will complete a very specialized construction task by the end of the third quarter of this year. The works will be carried out under active rail traffic on the service tracks. An interesting and at the same time an engineering challenge will be the connection of the car wash with the control building, which will be located at a distance of 150 m.  Last year, it is one of three car washes completed by Budimex in the field of railway construction – says Jakub Nagraba, General Construction Director at Budimex.

The new face of the Krakow parking station

In addition to the construction of the car wash, PKP Intercity is investing in the Kraków Główny Zachód railway siding. A thorough reconstruction of one of the carrier’s main parking stations, where m.in are stationed, is currently underway. Pendolino trains. The aim of the investment, worth nearly PLN 44.8 million gross, is to raise the standard of rolling stock maintenance. At the station, several dozen trains of the carrier are prepared for the route every day. Thanks to the reconstruction, the time of vehicle service will be optimized, the water management of the facility will be improved and it will be possible to comprehensively prepare trains leaving Krakow for the route.

Modern PKP Intercity car washes

The installation in Krakow is one of 7 modern car washes that PKP Intercity plans to build. The first of them was launched last year at the Warszawa Grochów parking station. Thanks to the investment, the washing time of a single train has been shortened and the standard of rolling stock maintenance has been raised, and the facility operates all year round, regardless of weather conditions. The cost of the reconstruction of the car wash amounted to over PLN 11.8 million net. In addition, at the end of 2022, the construction of a modern train accommodation facility at the Wrocław Główny station began. The investment, worth PLN 37 million gross, will meet all environmental standards, and the planned completion date is December 2023.

PKP Intercity’s infrastructure investments

In order to ensure a high standard of service for modern rolling stock, by 2030 PKP Intercity will invest PLN 2.6 billion in environmentally friendly parking stations and technical facilities. The modernization of the technical infrastructure will bring standardization of facilities. After the completion of the investment, they will be divided into three categories, adapted to the appropriate standard taking into account the needs of the rolling stock in a given location in terms of the implementation of the timetable. In 2030, PKP Intercity will have 20 parking stations and railway sidings and 32 points for preparing trains in the field of maintaining cleanliness in facilities made available to PKP Intercity.