On 26 August 2014 at the Marshal Office of the Mazovian Voivodeship, the Company’s Executive Officers and the representatives of NEWAG Company signed the Rolling Stock Delivery Contract Agreement in the presence of Marshal Adam Struzik. There are good news for the passengers of the Warsaw Commuter Rail (WKD). Within the two coming years the Company, the major shareholder of which is the Regional Government of the Mazovian Voivodeship, will purchase 6 modern electric traction units co-financed within the framework of the Swiss-Polish Co-operation Programme.

The new rolling stock will ensure better quality and comfort of travel for passengers, including primarily the residents of 6 communes: Michałowice, Pruszków, Brwinów, Milanówek, Podkowa Leśna, Grodzisk Mazowiecki and two Warsaw districts – Włochy and  Ochota. This will also mean better safety. Every single vehicle will be equipped with the monitoring system as well as the video surveillance system, ventilation and air conditioning of passenger cars, including the arrangement of windows and their number that allow for the natural ventilation inside the vehicle, and the passenger counting system.

A vehicle of 60 m in length will comprise 6 train cars for the total number of 164 passenger seats overall. Every single vehicle will have  the space capacity for four seats for passengers in wheelchairs and manually discharged ramps in the number of 4 units at both ends of the vehicle as well as the capacity for the safe transport of at least 8 bicycles.

Every vehicle will be equipped with the fully integrated passenger information system and exterior LED panels as well as LCD screens positioned for good visibility from any place in the  interior of a vehicle.

The rolling stock is purchased and delivered within the framework of the Project titled „Development of the public transport in Warsaw metropolitan area through improvement of the WKD (Warsaw Commuter Rail) efficiency, reliability and safety”.

The tasks executed under the Project constitute the subsequent stage of the comprehensive upgrade of the WKD transport system that will provide for  integration with other means of public transport in conformity with  the Development Strategy for the Mazovian Voivodeship. This objective would not be successfully achieved if it were not for the capital expenditures incurred on the rolling stock that will improve attractiveness of the public transport services. In effect of the study visit and information exchange with companies operating in the transport market in Switzerland, the WKD representatives had a chance to learn about the public transport management success stories that are characteristic for the public transport systems in Switzerland.

Implementation of the Project commenced on 1st June 2012 when the Project Agreement was concluded between the Ministry for the Regional Development and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. The Project has been scheduled to be completed by December-end 2016.

The total cost of the investment Project amounts to PLN 124.7 million, out of which PLN 57.8 millionwill be contributed within the framework of the  Swiss-Polish Co-operation Programme. The remaining amount will be contributed by the Company. Within the framework of the Project, the acquisition cost of the new rolling stock amounts to over PLN 98 million, out of which PLN 45.5 million will be co-financed by the Swiss funds. The remaining expenditures budgeted under the Project in progress will be incurred on the improvement of travel quality and comfort on the WKD service lines in terms of the transport infrastructure i.e., the upgrade of halts and implementation of the passenger information system and monitoring system.

The New Rolling Stock for the Warsaw Commuter Rail lines include  electric units fitted for operations fed with 3000V of direct current. The passenger vehicles will travel at the maximum speed of 80km/h.

The basic criteria to be met by the new rolling stock for  agglomeration transport services operated by the Warsaw Commuter Rail lines are as follows:

• Improvement of traction technical features – as far as acceleration and delay of braking are concerned;
• Adjustment  to the existing technical back-up facilities;
• High flexibility to set in motion;
• Maximization  of the space available for travellers.

The Calendar of the Milestones for the Purchase of the Rolling Stock under the Application Form filed by the Warsaw Commuter Rail:

The Swiss-Polish Co-operation Programme is a form of foreign financial assistance awarded by Switzerland to Poland and 9 other EU Member States. Approximately 1.3 billion of Swiss Francs will be assigned to the twelve new Member States, out of which CHF 489 million, that is about Euro 310 million will be allotted to the financial assistance for Poland.

The objective of the Swiss financial assistance is to combat the social-and-economic differences between Poland and better developed countries of the European Union, and also those in the territory of Poland – between city centres and structurally poorly developed regions.

Within the framework of the SPCP the financial assistance is allocated, inter alia, to the environment and infrastructure, regional development, health protection, scientific research, scholarships for scientists, support for non-governmental organisations, and venture capital fund. Until 14th June 2012, when the deadline to contract for expenditures expired,  the Polish and Swiss Parties had signed 58 agreements overall accounting for the total financial allocation. To this end it was possible to contract 100% of the financial assistance  assigned to support Poland. Under the SPCP about 80 calls for projects were announced, including calls for sub-projects.

NEWAG Capital Group manufactures, upgrades and repairs rolling stock. At the plant in Nowy Sącz the business operations are run to the extent of electric and diesel traction units, passenger transport vehicles, and diesel locomotives. NEWAG Gli­wice S.A. [joint-stock company] affiliated to the Capital Group specializes in manufacturing and upgrading electric loco­mo­tives. The Group’s employment size is around 1900 staff members.