Masovian Voivodeship. There are no diesel trains. The price of new ones exceeds the railway workers' budget

Only one company entered the tender announced by Koleje Mazowieckie for the purchase of new trains with combustion engines. The proposed price is several dozen million zlotys higher than the railway workers' estimates. Due to the lack of railbuses, passengers have to use alternative transport, which on some sections means the journey takes up to an hour longer.

Diesel-powered railbuses in Mazovia serve non-electrified routes in the areas of Ostrołęka, Płock and Siedlce. The situation is particularly difficult on the new section from Ostrołęka to Chorzela, recently built for PLN 427 million. At the beginning of January, 13 out of 16 trains were canceled, and in the period from December 1 to 14, 2023, there were 52 canceled services.

A journey by replacement bus takes almost an hour longer than by train, and some stops are located at a considerable distance from railway stations.

Accidents, fires and breakdowns

The main reason for the deficit of exhaust gas trains are accidents involving cars at railway crossings. In August 2023, in Dalanówek (Płońsk district), a truck driver drove in front of a schnobusa few days later another train was damaged after an accident in Łącko near Płock.

In January 2024 the fire consumed the diesel train of Koleje Mazowieckie, which was on its way to a comprehensive technical inspection. Another diesel wagon of Koleje Mazowieckie was damaged on New Year's Eve. Then The driver of a passenger car died after a collision with a train.

After a series of events and necessary repairs, more than half of the 14 Koleje Mazowieckie railbuses were out of service.

There are no diesel trains in Mazovia

New trains much more expensive than estimated

In September, Koleje Mazowieckie announced a tender for the purchase of new diesel trains. The railway workers planned to acquire six trains and expected an offer for the possible delivery of four additional trains.

In mid-December, the envelope was opened with the only offer received from PESA, a Polish manufacturer of rail vehicles from Bydgoszcz.

However, the proposed price significantly exceeds the assumed budget. The manufacturer estimated the production of six two-section railbuses by 2031 at nearly PLN 233.5 million. This amount is almost PLN 29 million higher than the money reserved for this purpose. The discrepancy in the cost estimate is even greater if the ordering party decides to purchase 10 railbuses. The manufacturer presented an offer of PLN 369 million, which is PLN 52.5 million more than the railway workers' calculations.

Koleje Mazowieckie heard that the received offer is being analyzed and at this stage it is too early to inform about decisions regarding the purchase of new trains.

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