Poland begins drilling a 3.9-km evacuation tunnel — RMF24
In Poland’s Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the TBM Kinga tunnel-boring machine has begun excavating an approximately 3.9-km evacuation tunnel on the Szczyrzyc–Tymbark section of the Podłęże–Piekiełko railway project. The machine was previously used to build a tunnel beneath Pisarzowa. As RMF24 reports, during a briefing at the construction site, a representative of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe said that Kinga has already excavated more than 100 meters of the new tunnel.
Tunnels on the new railway route
PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe Management Board member Marcin Mochocki said that the machine began work on schedule. According to him, the value of work already completed across the entire project amounts to about 1.5 billion zlotys, while the value of signed contracts exceeds 8 billion zlotys. The last two tenders announced this year are estimated at approximately 4.5 billion zlotys. The PKP PLK representative said that the full set of construction contracts for the Podłęże–Piekiełko section is planned to be concluded in the first half of 2027.
Under the current contract, nearly 9 km of tunnels are to be built, while more than 30 km of tunnel structures are planned along the entire route. Another, slightly longer tunnel will be excavated by the TBM Jadwiga, which is currently being assembled near the construction site. Initially, this machine is to excavate a section about 1.1 km long. Gulermak contract deputy director Michał Skwarczyński noted that nine months passed from the handover of the site for this section to the start of excavation.
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Transport of Kinga and the scale of the project
Transporting the dismantled Kinga shield required more than 100 deliveries, of which over 30 were oversized. Most trips were made at night to reduce inconvenience for local residents and drivers. After transportation, the contractor checked the machine’s hydraulic and electrical systems and replaced cutterhead components taking geological conditions into account. During construction of the evacuation tunnel, approximately 200,000 tonnes of material are planned to be excavated; more than 65% of the concrete prefabricated elements for the tunnel lining have already been prepared.
The project, worth about 14 billion zlotys, provides for the modernization and electrification of 75 km of Line No. 104 between Chabówka and Nowy Sącz, as well as the construction of 58 km of a new railway route from Podłęże via Gdów and Szczyrzyc towards Tymbark and Mszana Dolna. Thirteen railway and evacuation tunnels are to be built in the mountainous area. Construction of the project began in 2023.
