Work begins on Poland’s new multi-modal megahub

Construction work has begun on Poland’s new multi-modal megahub 40 kilometres southwest of capital, Warsaw.

According to its developers, Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) is a key transport development project for Poland that is crucial for the economic growth of both the country and the wider European region.

At its heart will be the largest airport in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). However, it is much more than just an airport. It is a huge infrastructure project on an incredible scale that will quickly and efficiently integrate air, rail, and road transportation, connecting nearly 180 million inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe.

Today it was announced that the process of constructing a multimodal transport and interchange hub had begun.

Indeed, large-scale geological excavations are already underway at the CPK airport investment site, actually involving several hundred smaller sites, as well as demolition and removal works.

“The CPK is an investment, which I absolutely consider to be one of the most important that Poland is carrying out in the 21st century,” stated Polish President, Andrzej Duda.

“We have to move forward continuously, and our direction is the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny. The Second Polish Republic had its Gdynia, a port, a city and a shipyard, built on sand from a tiny fishing village. Now, we have a plan and the de facto launched CPK investment, construction of one of the largest airports and transport systems not only in Europe, but in the world.

“Do we need it? Yes! This investment is a clear and explicit pursuit of our interests.”

To date, over 1,000 hectares of land have been purchased CPK under the Voluntary Acquisition Programme (PDN). The procedure for the selection of a financial partner for the airport part has also now entered a decisive phase.

“CPK is not just a Polish project, it’s a key initiative for the whole of Europe,” enthused Marcin Horała, deputy minister of funds and regional policy and government plenipotentiary for CPK.

“Its implementation is a cornerstone in the transformation of European transport, raising mobility standards on the continent.

“What we have achieved so far shows that our commitment to the successful implementation of this investment is second to none. Thanks to CPK, the future of European transport looks brighter than ever before.”

Developing the CPK Group to streamline the investment process

Last week the Government Plenipotentiary for CPK contributed the shares of the Polish Airports (PPL) company to the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny. As a result, PPL joined CPK, bringing together the main assets and investment processes for airport infrastructure in Poland, making the new CPK Capital Group dominant in our European region.

The transformation process at PPL has already been completed. The CPK Group will be responsible for co-ordinating and obtaining financing for investment tasks related to the construction of the new transfer hub.

The selection of a strategic partner – a shareholder in the company that will be responsible for the construction and management of the CPK airport – is said to be in its final stage.

The condition is that the State Treasury retains ownership control with at least 51% of the shares. Two candidates have so far revealed their involvement in the proceedings: the French-American VINCI Group, one of the largest airport operators in the world, and South Korea’s Incheon Airport from Seoul.

CPK’s backers believe that the interest expressed by such experienced players proves that the project is “business-consistent” and that the airport part of the project is viable and guarantees a high rate of return.