Budimex has reached another milestone near Pisarzowa. Three weeks after the completion of works on the evacuation tunnel through the “Kinga” shield, the TBM “Jadwiga” shield broke through to the other side, completing the drilling of the main railway tunnel on the section Limanowa – Klęczany siding. Thus, the most technologically difficult stage of the construction of two parallel tunnel structures that will connect Męcina and Mordarka has been completed.
This is a moment of particular importance not only for the construction itself, but for the entire “Podłęże-Piekiełko” programme – the largest investment of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe in the south of the country. The tunnel under Pisarzowa is its key element. It is about 3750 meters long, and at its deepest point it is led under about 120 meters of rock mass. It is this section of the route that will change the parameters of the passage between Limanowa and Nowy Sącz to the greatest extent and will affect the future functionality of railway connections in the region.
The construction was carried out in the difficult, mountainous terrain of the Beskid Wyspowy. Two TBM machines were working on the construction – “Kinga”, which had previously completed the evacuation tunnel, and “Jadwiga”, responsible for the main railway tunnel. TBM technology, today the global standard for the construction of long tunnel structures, allows you to carry out works continuously and very precisely.
– This is the finale of a very precisely prepared process. At this stage, technology, team experience, construction organization and full control over every detail must meet. The completion of the excavation by “Jadwiga” is of particular importance, because it concerns the main object – the tunnel through which trains will run in the future. Such projects were a rarity in our country a few years ago, and today they are becoming a real part of modern railways. This shows that on the most demanding railway sections in Poland, we are able to effectively combine advanced technology, precise planning and efficient implementation,” says Artur Popko, President of Budimex SA.
The “Jadwiga” shield weighs over 2.5 thousand tons and is less than 90 meters long, and its diameter is almost 11 meters. The machine, equipped with a rotating face with steel teeth, simultaneously worked during operation, selected the soil and then assembled the concrete tunnel casing. A number of installations and equipment were operating at its back, including a conveyor belt transporting the excavated material, and in the opposite direction, MSV (Multi-Service Vehicles) transported, among m.in, prefabricated elements of the casing, produced on an ongoing basis in a nearby prefabrication hall built purpose-built for this project.
The finale of “Jadwiga’s” work means that the investment near Pisarzowa is entering a new phase. The next stage will be the construction of passages between the tunnels and the commencement of finishing works and the installation of equipment and safety systems that will prepare the facility for train traffic. It is a transition from the most difficult part of the underground works to a stage that brings the project closer and closer to the final effect.
The “Podłęże-Piekiełko” program is to ultimately reduce the travel time from Krakow to Nowy Sącz to about 60 minutes, and from Krakow to Zakopane to about 90 minutes. It will also improve the parameters of the line and increase the possibilities of freight and passenger transport. The tunnel under Pisarzowa will be the first of 13 railway tunnels (a total of 20 tunnels, including evacuation tunnels), which will be used by trains in the future as part of the entire program.
Today, Budimex is one of the most heavily involved contractors in the “Podłęże-Piekiełko” programme. The company has already completed the first section of line No. 104 Chabówka – Rabka Zaryte to be put into operation, is carrying out works on the H section of line No. 622 Szczyrzyc – Tymbark, and in March 2026 it signed a contract for the next stage of the investment – line No. 622 Podłęże – Gdów and slip road No. 627. This commitment is in line with Budimex’s broader position on the railway market, which also includes such projects as Warszawa Zachodnia, Port of Gdynia, Czechowice-Dziedzice, lines 201 and 214 in Kashubia and Rail Baltica.
The construction of the Limanowa-Klęczany siding section is being carried out in a consortium with Gülermak.
