Polish railway workers will cooperate with soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces (WOT). The purpose of the agreement signed by the Territorial Defense Forces and PKP is to prepare for cooperation in various states of state defense readiness and in situations when states of emergency are introduced in Poland.
Soon, WOT soldiers will begin preparations for the protection of railway stations, evacuation of people from the scene of events, removal of the effects of natural disasters, as well as providing pre-medical aid to the injured.
The agreement means that soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces will soon be training together with railway workers. The aim will be, on the one hand, to support the possible defense of the country, and on the other, to protect the premises and railway infrastructure, which in emergency situations is one of the key and strategic elements of the country’s defense.
There are plans to develop procedures for protecting railway stations, evacuating people from the danger, removing the effects of natural disasters, as well as providing pre-medical assistance to the injured. Signatories are particularly interested in protecting stations and repairing them in the event of acts of sabotage, railway employees will learn how to counteract such attacks.
“The agreement with WOT is an extremely important initiative, especially after the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the war that has been going on for three months in that country”, said the president of PKP Krzysztof Mamiński during the ceremony related to the signing of the agreement.
The commander of the Territorial Defense Forces, General Wiesław Kukuła said that the railways are a critical element of the national defense system that determines the effectiveness of defense, but also the resilience of a community subjected to long-term external, not only military, pressure.
“The Territorial Defense Forces were created to strengthen this defense system, as well as to integrate the efforts of many different institutions and civic initiatives that define the defense of the state”, said General Kukuła.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński