Budimex SA has completed the main works on the construction of the “Fabryczna” receiving chamber, one of the key elements of the infrastructure accompanying the construction of the long-distance tunnel in Łódź along the railway line No. 85. The completion of this stage paves the way for the start of further works related to the construction of the “Fabryczna” turnout chamber, which is scheduled to start in July 2026.
The “Fabryczna” receiving chamber, implemented in the very center of Łódź, in the vicinity of the Łódź Fabryczna station and the Łódź Cultural Center, was carried out as part of the project “Construction of the retaining structure of the Retkinia chamber and the retaining structure of the Fabryczna turnout chamber” carried out at the request of the Central Communication Port. The task has been carried out by Budimex since April 2025 and its completion is due in May 2026. Earlier, under the same contract, Budimex completed the Retkinia broadcasting chamber, so both ends necessary for tunnel works are already ready.
As part of the work, slit walls were made with a depth of up to 36 meters, and the excavation at the deepest point of the chamber reached 27 meters below ground level. For the purposes of the construction, approx. 6.5 thousand m³ of concrete and 850 tons of steel were installed, including nearly 9 tons of GFRP reinforcement placed in the front wall, through which the TBM shield will pass in the future. During the works, about 22 thousand m³ of ore was extracted. The completion of the construction of the receiving chamber means the completion of an important stage of the investment, and at the same time preparation for the next phase of the project, i.e. the construction of the “Fabryczna” turnout chamber, which is planned for July 2026.
“The completion of works on the receiving chamber is the result of many months of intensive work by the team and complicated works carried out in demanding urban conditions. A particular challenge was the implementation of geotechnical works and a deep excavation in a compact development, with a very limited space of the construction site at the junction of as many as three investments. However, we have managed to effectively combine the quality of workmanship with maintaining the safety and continuity of the investments being implemented. This is an important step towards the start of the next stage of construction, i.e. the turnout chamber – says Paweł Parusel, Contract Director at Budimex SA.
The “Retkinia” and “Fabryczna” chambers are part of the investment, which will enable the construction of a long-distance tunnel with a length of approx. 4.6 km. In the future, it will enable the connection of Łódź with Warsaw, Poznań and Wrocław by high-speed rail, being an important part of the new railway system in central Poland.
As the leading general contractor in Poland, Budimex implements key infrastructure investments, including railway, road, hydrotechnical and cubature projects. As part of the activities related to the construction of the infrastructure of the Port of Poland, the company is responsible for the construction of retaining structures for the chambers of the high-speed rail tunnel in Łódź, and the total value of the contract is PLN 159 million net.
At the same time, Budimex is involved in a number of other large railway projects in Poland, in particular in the south of the country. The company is one of the key contractors of the “Podłęże-Piekiełko” program – it has already commissioned a section of line No. 104 on the Chabówka – Rabka Zaryte route, it is currently 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, including line No. 622 Podłęże – Gdów and slip road No. 627. In addition, Budimex is also implementing a project on the Limanowa – Kleczany section as part of the modernization of line No. 104.
