Completed modernisation of the E-59 railway line on the Rokietnica–Wronki section

Budimex has finished works related to the reconstruction of track systems together with accompanying infrastructure on the E-59 line for the Rokietnica–Wronki section. The route measures 35.14 km and is a part of the railway line between Poznań Główny and Szczecin Główny. PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA is the contract investor.

As part of the contract signed on 14 September 2018, the scope of modernisation included track surface, overhead contact line, power, reparation and modernisation of engineering structures as well as reconstruction of platforms, railway crossings and construction of new drainage.

The works included:

• rebuilding 77 km of railway tracks,
• rebuilding 74 km of overhead contact line,
• rebuilding 2 train stations: Szamotuły and Wronki and 3 stops: Pamiątkowo, Baborówko and Pęckowo,
• constructing 2 passages over the tracks: Szamotuły and Wronki,
• rebuilding 10 platforms together with small architecture and adapting them to the needs of people with reduced mobility,
• modernising 18 bridges, railway and road viaducts,
• modernising 19 railway crossings.

The railway works were implemented by Budimex with the use of new traction equipment, based its own equipment.

“The section between Rokietnica-Wronki is another advanced project of strategic importance for all national rail transport. The E-59 line constitutes an element of the trans-European transport network. Budimex is now among the top contractors in modernising rail infrastructure. Our experience, people and equipment allow us to implement any rail investments in Poland,” said Artur Popko, CEO of Budimex S.A.

The following formed part of the works:

• We have built 55 railway junctions, most of which used block technology during 4-hour night closures of the railway line,
• 51 km of DSM columns to reinforce the rail bed,
• 18 km of prefabricated reinforced concrete piles,
• Over 0.5 million tonnes of aggregate – to accomplish this task we needed as many as 660 night closures all along the railway line because the line was open non-stop and was used by passengers.

The contract included the creation of a modern, technically advanced bridge over the Warta River in Wronki, measuring 193 m.

“The innovative solution used involved using the construction of a load-bearing structure, the main element of which was a three-span composite structure in the form of a single steel lattice girder with an interacting reinforced concrete slab. The length of the bridge in the dilatation axes is 193 m. The theoretical range of the spans is 86 m for the main span, while the overflow spans measure 52 m respectively. The technology we used allowed us to reduce the time required to construct the bridge for a single track to 180 days. It should be emphasized here that this type of solution is the first one implemented in Poland by Budimex,” said Maciej Olek, Director of the Division of Railway Construction of Budimex SA.

“Implementing this investment was primarily aimed at increasing the speed of passenger traffic up to 160 km per hour, increasing the safety on railway crossings, reducing the costs of exploitation and maintenance of railway infrastructure, but most of all it is about increasing the attractiveness of transport for the passenger by reducing travel times, increasing the comfort in which they travel and eliminating architectural barriers for anyone with reduced mobility,” said Paweł Chlasta, Contract Director of Budimex SA.

Budimex is one of the leaders in railway construction in Poland. The company is currently undertaking such contracts as the new Warszawa Zachodnia station, constituting one of the largest PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA investment projects. At present, Budimex is also responsible for the reconstruction of Ełk station and Czechowice Dziedzice station. There are also works in progress on the reconstruction of the E30 railway line between Trzebinia and Krzeszowice. In 2021, Budimex completed the modernisation of the number 7 railway line between Warsaw and Lublin, for the sections Otwock–Pilawa, Pilawa–Dęblin and Dęblin–Nałęczów.