PKP Intercity is investing in expanding its rolling stock fleet with COMBO coaches. The company has signed a contract for the modernisation of a further 45 coaches to this standard. PKP Intercity Remtrak, which belongs to the same capital group, has become the executor of the contract for the national carrier. The work will be carried out at the Opole plant and the value of the contract will be PLN 335 million net.
The subject of the new order is to carry out periodic repairs at the fifth maintenance level (P5) together with the modernisation of 45 type 112A coaches to the higher standard of Combo coaches. PKP Intercity Remtrak has been appointed as the contractor and will have 24 months to deliver all the vehicles. The national carrier already has 60 similar vehicles in its fleet.
The company recently resolved a tender procedure for the modernisation of 50 coaches to the Combo standard. The most favourable offer was submitted by Poznan-based manufacturer H. Cegielski – Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych, which will have 36 months from the signing of the contract to deliver the vehicles. Thus, after the completion of both contracts, PKP Intercity will ultimately have 155 carriages of this type at its disposal.
As in the Combo coaches that PKP Intercity already owns, travel for people with disabilities will be facilitated by a special compartment in which space has been set aside for two people from this group of passengers and two carers.
The carriages will also be adapted for family travel. To make the journey enjoyable for both toddlers and parents, the vehicles will have two separate compartments for carers with a child. There will also be a non-compartmental area on the vehicle, which will be arranged with individual or four-person tables. Electrical sockets and USB ports will be available for each passenger.
Comfortable travel will be ensured by air conditioning and wireless Internet access. The modernised vehicles will run in trainsets at speeds of up to 160 km/h.
PKP Intercity is Poland’s largest long-distance rail carrier. It had around 59 million passengers in 2022.
Adrian Andrzejewski