Budimex, in consortium with Gülermak, continues work on section D of railway line No. 104, between Limanowa and the Klęczany siding. Since the launch of the “Kinga” TBM shield in March and the “Jadwiga” shield in June this year, more than 1.2 km of tunnels have already been drilled. The progress of the entire investment has reached nearly 32%. As part of the project, one of the longest railway tunnels in Poland is being built – almost 4 km long.
In recent months, Budimex has completed a wide range of earthworks: excavations, embankments, soil reinforcement have been made, and the main works related to the removal of infrastructural collisions are also nearing completion. Road culverts were created
and railway structures, foundations and supports for bridge structures. Load-bearing structures were also installed on flyovers, viaducts and bridges. Currently, the works are focused on the construction of the western portal of the tunnel, strengthening the slopes, erecting retaining walls and on reinforcement, formwork and concreting subsequent spans of engineering structures.
” We are currently drilling one of the longest railway tunnels in Poland using the TBM shield. This is an undertaking that requires multifaceted coordination of teams of specialists and the work of advanced equipment. The result will be a modern, fast and safe railway connection between Kraków and Nowy Sącz, which will significantly improve the transport accessibility of the region and strengthen the economic potential of Małopolska ,” emphasises Marcin Curkowicz, Deputy Contract Manager for Technical Affairs at Budimex SA.
By August 24, 2025, the “Kinga” TBM shield had already drilled over 1050 meters of the evacuation tunnel, and the “Jadwiga” shield, launched in June, had drilled 212 meters of the main railway tunnel. In the second half of September, it is planned to lay the first section of the track from the side of Klęczany.
On average, more than 600 employees and about 240 equipment units are involved in the implementation of the investment every day. The project is part of the largest railway project in southern Poland – “Podłęże – Piekiełko”, which includes the modernisation and electrification of 75 km of the existing Chabówka – Nowy Sącz line and the construction of 58 km of a new route. After the completion of the works, the travel time from Krakow to Nowy Sącz will be reduced to about 60 minutes, and the journey from Krakow to Zakopane will take about 1.5 hours.
The modernisation of the Limanowa – Klęczany siding section is being carried out by a consortium of Budimex and Gülermak, and the contract value exceeds PLN 1.9 billion. Budimex is the leader of the consortium with a 50% share, and its composition is complemented by Gülermak Air Sanayi Inşaat ve Taahhüt (25% share) and Gülermak (25% share). The contract was signed in March 2024, and the completion of the works is planned for the last quarter of 2026. This is one of the four sections of the “Podłęże-Piekiełko” project, where construction works are already underway.
