Port Polska established CTM to connect infrastructure planning and project delivery—including a planned national airport and high-speed railway lines — with the wider transport system. Its remit covers passenger and freight demand, railway capacity, service planning and links between modes, ensuring that new lines connect effectively with existing routes and regional services.
Integrated Railway Network: planning the whole system
The Integrated Railway Network (Zintegrowana Sieć Kolejowa, ZSK), developed by Port Polska and PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe in cooperation with the Institute of Urban and Regional Development, provides a long-term framework for railway development. Based on modelling, transport analysis and consultations, it envisages 4,700 km of new lines and modernisation of 5,600 km of existing infrastructure.
Port Polska’s objectives include connecting the largest urban agglomerations with Warsaw within 100 minutes and enabling cross-country journeys, such as south—north or east—west trips, within three hours. The programme also identifies potential journey-time reductions of 29% between metropolitan and regional urban centres and 21% between subregional centres and major agglomerations. Achieving these aims depends on how new lines, existing routes, service patterns and interchanges work together. ZSK takes a network-wide approach, considering passenger accessibility, freight flows, capacity and investment priorities alongside Poland’s international connections. It aims to strengthen links towards Ukraine by connecting the Tri-City ports with eastern Poland and the Ukrainian border; towards Germany by improving freight connections between the Szczecin—Świnoujście ports, western Poland and Western Europe; towards the Czech Republic through a high-standard passenger corridor linking Poznań and Wrocław with the Czech border; and towards the Baltic states through integration with Rail Baltica. CTM analyses indicate that all four directions could benefit from better connectivity, greater capacity and more efficient passenger and freight flows.
Modelling passenger and freight demand
The Passenger Transport Model (Pasażerski Model Transportowy, PMT) follows four stages: trip generation, spatial distribution, modal split and assignment to the network. It covers road, rail and air transport, including interchanges.
Port Polska reports 99.8% forecast accuracy in an assessment of rail passenger numbers in Poland. The published information does not specify the validationmethod, period or statistical definition, so this is a reported result for that assessment, not a guarantee for all forecasts. The Freight Transport Model (Towarowy Model Transportowy, TMT) examines goods movements by rail, road and sea, including Polish foreign trade, intra-European and intercontinental flows, and transit through Poland. Its database covers approximately 7,500 freight- generating entities in Poland and more than 35,000 across Europe. The model helps assess potential modal shifts and intermodal needs across international supply chains.
From train operations to coordinated services
CTM’s Railway Microsimulation Model (Kolejowy Model Mikrosymulacyjny, KMM) represents train movements in detail to test capacity, build timetables and assess whether proposed services can operate on planned infrastructure. The Horizontal Timetable (Horyzontalny Rozkład Jazdy, HRJ) aims to create a predictable, long-term passenger offer by coordinating long-distance trains with regional rail and buses. The project involves the Ministry of Infrastructure, Centralny Port Komunikacyjny sp. z o.o., PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe and the Centre for EU Transport Projects, in cooperation with the Office of Rail Transport.
CTM is also developing the Local Mobility Hubs (Lokalne Huby Mobilności, LHM) concept with local authorities and experts. These proposed facilities would integrate rail and coach services, improve access from different directions and potentially include commercial space. Accessibility for passengers with specific needs is part of the approach.
Intermodal freight and capacity
Work under ZSK has identified eight potential locations for new intermodal terminals. Their development must be considered alongside railway infrastructure, capacity allocation and arrangements for transferring freight between road and rail. CTM highlights the need to accommodate freight trains in capacity planning and develop booking and notification systems that help terminal networks cooperate, including competing operators.
Under Synchromodality as a Service, logistics operators would select transport modes according to cargo owners’ requirements, such as budget, origin, destination and delivery time, without needing separate consultations for every modal choice.
Local content: building lasting Polish expertise
For CTM, local content means more than materials, components and jobs. It also includes domestic knowledge and tools: data, models, software, technical standards and innovative technologies. Developing these capabilities within Polish institutions and State Treasury companies can strengthen the country’s ability to plan strategic projects independently and retain expertise for future investment.
Projects such as ZSK, HRJ, LHM and transport models were often previously procured as separate advisory services, sometimes costing millions of złoty and supplied by foreign companies. By developing them as lasting national resources, Port Polska aims to help future projects build on existing tools and experience rather than start from scratch. CTM also seeks to establish best practices for public administration, local authorities and State Treasury companies, strengthening Polish firms’ competitiveness.
Another example is the development of technical standards for Poland’s high-speed railway. Working with the Railway Research Institute, CTM helped prepare national technical conditions and design guidelines for high-speed rail infrastructure. These publicly available standards can be used by design offices, contractors, universities and the wider railway sector.
Data, investment appraisal and financing
CTM’s analysis supports decisions about where infrastructure is needed, how alternatives should be compared and how investment can be allocated. Port Polska’s September 2026 assessment of transport trends identifies five areas likely to shape the sector: accessibility, diversified infrastructure financing, passenger mobility, synchronised intermodality and data analytics. It advocates coordinated planning at system, mode and individual-asset levels.
Port Polska estimates ZSK’s cost at PLN 610 billion, with potential average annual expenditure of PLN 20— 40 billion depending on implementation pace. Existing railway investment programmes described by the company amount to PLN 180 billion over eight years, averaging PLN 22.5 billion annually. Alongside public funding, the assessment considers public-private partnerships (PPPs) and a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model as possible financing approaches. Their suitability depends on factors including risk allocation and project stability.
From analysis to implementation
CTM links analysis with project preparation and implementation, drawing on expertise in railway planning, modelling, economics and project management, and cooperating with local authorities.
For Poland, this means planning high-speed rail alongside existing lines, regional connections, freight and interchanges. Internationally, it means combining demand models, operational simulation, coordinated timetables and domestic technical standards to support more connected and efficient transport.
By developing Polish expertise, reusable analytical tools and open technical guidance alongside physical infrastructure, CTM aims to improve planning quality and strengthen the country’s long-term capacity to deliver strategic transport projects.
Further information: ctm@portpolska.pl
