The contract covers the delivery of trains and full maintenance over 30 years. It also includes an option for an additional 30 trainsets, Polish state news PAP reported.
"This is the largest rolling stock agreement in the history of Polish railways—the purchase of Poland's first double-decker express trains for PKP," Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak said during a ceremony in the southern city of Chorzów.
"Polish rail has never seen anything like this. This megacontract fulfills the dreams of everyone who wanted our trains to be the best, most modern and fastest," he added.
Alstom Polska CEO Beata Rusinowicz said the new trains, capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 kph, would be built entirely in Poland. They will be produced in Nadarzyn near Warsaw, while assembly will take place at Alstom’s Chorzów plant.
"I am very proud that Alstom is returning to its roots—producing in Poland for Poland," Rusinowicz said. "We will be working with 800 local suppliers and universities, including the Silesian University of Technology."
The trains, branded Coradia Max, will be dual-system units capable of operating under both 3 kV DC and 25 kV AC power, reporters were told.
This will allow them to run on future routes such as the planned Central Transportation Hub (CPK) airport line and to destinations in neighbouring countries such as the Czech Republic, according to officials.
The new trains are expected to serve most major Polish cities.
Alstom, which has operated in Poland since 1997, employs a workforce of more than 4,700 around the country.
PKP Intercity is Poland's main long-distance rail operator, providing connections between major cities and tourist destinations domestically and abroad.
The company carried 78.5 million passengers last year, 15 percent more than in 2023, and expects to handle 84 million this year. It aims to carry 110 million passengers annually by 2030.
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Source: IAR, PAP