Poland Tests Pendolino at 253 km/h Ahead of 2027 High-Speed Rail Launch
A Pendolino train reached 253 km/h during overnight infrastructure tests on Poland’s Central Line, marking a key milestone ahead of scheduled commercial high-speed operations. According to railway infrastructure manager PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PKP PLK), the high-speed runs successfully evaluated the performance of the GSM-R communications system at elevated velocities, paving the way for regular passenger services operating at 250 km/h by December 2027.
## Central Line Upgrades and Schedule
The upcoming 250 km/h services will utilize roughly 180 kilometers of the Central Railway Line (Centralna Magistrala Kolejowa – CMK), which spans approximately 223 kilometers and serves as the primary high-speed rail corridor connecting Warsaw to southern urban centers like Kraków, Katowice, and Wrocław. While the infrastructure is being adapted for faster travel, PKP PLK noted that maximum speeds will remain lower on certain sections of the route.
Deputy Minister for Infrastructure Piotr Malepszak acknowledged that adapting the national rail network for regular high-speed operations took too long, while Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak emphasized that the current developments represent only the initial phase of modernization.
## Projected Journey Time Reductions
Travelers will experience significantly shorter transit times once the 2027–2028 timetable takes effect. According to transit projections, the journey between Warsaw and Kraków will drop from approximately two hours and 45 minutes to roughly one hour and 55 minutes.
Services connecting Warsaw and Katowice will fall to one hour and 54 minutes. Meanwhile, the fastest trips between Warsaw and Wrocław are projected to take about three hours, down from the current three and a half hours. Maciej Kaczorek, a member of PKP PLK’s management, called the achievement a vital moment for the modernization of Polish railways.
## Fleet Capabilities and Long-Term Targets
The electric multiple units, manufactured by French firm Alstom, have operated across Polish intercity routes connecting Warsaw, Kraków, Katowice, Wrocław, and the Trójmiasto conurbation since 2014. Although the trainsets were originally designed to reach 250 km/h, commercial speed limits in the country have remained capped at 200 km/h.
The recent 253 km/h test run falls short of the absolute Polish rail speed record of 293 km/h, which was established by a Pendolino during 2013 testing on the same Central Line before the fleet entered public service. Unlike the 2013 trials, current operations focus specifically on authorizing regular infrastructure and safety systems for passenger transit.
Looking further ahead, Polish authorities are designing a larger high-speed rail blueprint spanning approximately 2,700 kilometers of planned infrastructure capable of supporting train speeds of 320 km/h and beyond.