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Gdynia Port Railway Junction Already 30% Modernised

News date: December 28, 2020
Gdynia Port Railway Junction Already 30% Modernised

The modernising of the Gdynia Port Railway Junction continues. Budimex is implementing the “Improvement of railway access to the Port of Gdynia” project commissioned by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. Acting as the general contractor, Budimex has already completed more than 30% of all contracted work. The primary objective of the construction project is to improve the throughput of this strategic railway junction and increase the volume of the cargo. The project is worth 1.5 BPLN and financed by CEF (Connecting Europe Facility).

 

The modernising of the Port of Gdynia will immensely improve the cargo transport capacity in this part of Poland. Once the construction is complete, the Port of Gdynia will become accessible by longer (up to 740 m) freight trains, carrying more goods. As part of the “Improvement of railway access to the Port of Gdynia” project, the tasks of Budimex include alteration of the Gdynia Port railway station, the onshore forefront of the port and appurtenant infrastructure, and streamlining the traffic on the railway lines linked to the project.

 

“The retrofit of the Gdynia Port Railway Junction is another very advanced project of strategic importance to nationwide rail transport, and carried out by Budimex”, says Artur Popko, Vice-President COO of Budimex SA. “Our tasks include the overhead contact system and wiring works, track works, water supply and sewage works and the construction of buildings, of course. The progress of all contracted work is at over 30%.”

 

Since the launch of construction in 2019, Budimex has laid 8000 rail sleepers and installed 3000 m of rails. The general contractor also installed 300 spot footing units for lamp posts, completed 146 overhead contact system masts with foundations and laid approximately 50 km of cable ductwork. The company has installed 105 tons of reinforcement and 850 m3 of concrete in engineering facilities. Work is currently under way on the retaining wall of a tunnel below the tracks and on the overpass abutment above the tracks. There is already progress evident in the construction of four new buildings by Budimex – a Local Control Centre, two switch towers and the office building for PKP Cargo, including the renovation of three pre-existing switch towers.

 

“We have closed the shell of the buildings for the planned switch towers and the Local Control Centre. We are working on the façade cladding, slab roofs, and plumbing. We have also begun refurbishment in one of the three operational switch tower buildings,” says Artur Popko.

 

The general contractor also demolished approximately 110 railway structures which were in conflict with the planned railway infrastructure. On average, 314 workers operating 83 pieces of equipment are working daily on the port retrofit. The whole extent of the modernisation work includes alteration of 115 km of railway tracks and electrification of the railway access to the port gates. 13 km of roads, a railway bridge, and two railway grade crossings will be redeveloped. Traffic flow will be facilitated by two new railway overpasses. The Port of Gdynia modernisation project is scheduled to be completed by the end 2021. The total net cost of the project is 1,487,405,291.36 PLN.

 

Budimex SA is now ranked in the top three largest general contractors for railway line upgrade projects in Poland. Budimex is currently developing other railway projects, including: Warszawa Zachodnia, E30 Trzebinia to Krzeszowice, LK139 Czechowice-Dziedzice, LK7 Warszawa to Lublin in three of its sections, and E59 Wronki. In 2020, the general contractor completed the upgrade of the Idzikowice railway station (under a design & build contract implemented in consortium with KZA Lublin), while in the last quarter it retrofitted the heritage PKP S.A. railway station building in Białystok.