The Polish railway infrastructure administrator, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PLK), has decided to terminate the contracts for the construction of the tunnel in Lodz connecting three of the city’s railway stations (Fabryczna, Kaliska, and Żabieniec).

The work was carried out by Przedsiębiorstwo Budowy Dróg i Mostów (PBDiM), and the decision to terminate the contracts was motivated by the safety of residents, the protection of properties located along the tunnel route, and the need to ensure the stable and professional implementation of an infrastructure project that is essential for both Łódź and the national railway system.

The decision to terminate the contracts concerns three agreements: the construction of the large-diameter main tunnel, the construction of the Łódź Koziny station, and the construction of the Włókniarzy traction substation.

In recent months, PLK has been engaged in intensive mediation with the contractor with a view to resuming work and continuing the construction of the tunnel in Łódź. Despite the involvement of the contracting authorities and numerous support measures, the contractor has been unable to overcome the organizational, financial, and technical problems. A detailed analysis of the contract documentation, technical documentation, recommendations of the Contract Engineer, and opinions of independent experts showed that PBDiM is not capable of continuing the investment in accordance with the contract, PLK states.

“The analysis of the progress of the works and the contractor’s capacity revealed numerous fundamental problems, including a lack of necessary resources, insufficient experience in TBM technology, and serious financial difficulties, which led to the interruption of the works. The dialogue between PLK and PBDiM did not result in the presentation of a realistic, credible, and feasible plan for continuing the project,” said Marcin Mochocki, member of the Board of Directors of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe.

The tunnel excavation was carried out with extremely low efficiency. The tunnel boring machine (TBM), which according to the contract was supposed to complete the excavation of the main tunnel section in 14 months, after 4.5 years of work had only completed 1.5 km and was active only 17.5% of the time. Since November 10, 2024, the TBM disc has been blocked, and the contractor, despite numerous assurances, has not presented any credible plan to resume work. Subsequent proposals for execution schedules (14 plans submitted in the last 15 months) indicated increasingly distant deadlines, up to August 2028, clearly highlighting PBDiM’s inability to complete the investment.

The company has now started procedures to take over the site and prepare the next steps, which include protecting the investment and selecting a new contractor.

PLK SA’s goal is to resume work as quickly as possible and, above all, safely, thus continuing the project, which is of strategic importance for the development of the city of Łódź and the entire railway system in Poland, while also providing support and protection to residents who have been relocated as a result of the investment.

It is also known as the city crossing tunnel, which is different from the Łódź tunnel that will be built by CPK for high-speed train traffic.

The Łódź tunnel project built by PLK will function as a tunnel system with a total length of 7.5 km and a track length of 17 km. The main double-track tunnel will be 3 km long, and four single-track tunnels will have a total length of 4.5 km. The project also includes the construction of three underground stations (Śródmieście, Polesie, and Koziny) in the city center, which will have three levels.

At its deepest point, the tunnel will pass approximately 26 meters below the ground surface, which is equivalent to nine stories of a residential building.

The new tunnel will allow regional and long-distance trains to cross the city center on the east-west axis (through the Widzew, Fabryczna, and Kaliska stations) and on the north-south axis (through the Widzew, Fabryczna, and Żabieniec stations).

The initial value of the project was estimated at over PLN 2 billion (EUR 477 million) and received European co-financing (phase I) through the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Program, and phase II, co-financed by the European Infrastructure, Climate, and Environment Funds 2021–2027.

The city crossing tunnel was due to be completed this year.