Journey by Train Through Masuria on a New Track

October 2, 2023

Faster and more efficient train travel from Giżycko to Korsze is coming thanks to the modernization and electrification of the railway line. PKP PLK has signed contracts for construction work and investor supervision for the second stage of the investment on the Korsze – Ełk route.

The project will be implemented for a net amount of PLN 876 million under the National Recovery Program.

Railway line No. 38 is changing for passengers from the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship and tourists. Residents of this region will be able to reach the provincial capital faster and more comfortably. After the completion of all the work, the train journey from Ełk to Olsztyn will take less than 2 hours. Work has been underway on the Ełk – Giżycko section since March 2022.

On October 2, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. signed a contract for the modernization and electrification of the next section: from Giżycko to Korsze. Construction work will be carried out by Torpol S.A., and ECM Group Polska S.A. will manage and oversee the implementation of this task.

“Rail transport in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship is becoming more and more passenger-friendly. The investments being carried out encourage the choice of this mode of transportation, which enables fast, safe, and comfortable commuting to work or school. The residents of the Land of the Great Masurian Lakes deserve environmentally friendly transport, which will be provided by the electrification of the route from Ełk to Korsze,” said Andrzej Bittel, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure.

Improved access to the railway will include the reconstruction of 9 stations and stops, including Sterławki Wielkie, Kętrzyn, and Korsze. Higher platforms will make it easier to board trains, and comfortable access will also be provided for people with limited mobility.

The track will be replaced over a length of nearly 50 kilometers. 84 engineering structures (bridges, viaducts, and culverts) will be rebuilt or renovated. A new road viaduct will be built on Provincial Road No. 592 in Sterławki Wielkie. The safety at the railway-road crossings will increase at 38 modernized crossings. Thanks to the overhead line and electrification of the line, there will be no need to change locomotives from electric to diesel, which will shorten travel time.

“Thanks to the electrification of the line from Ełk through Giżycko to Korsze, the impact of the railway on the environment will be reduced. The capacity of the route will also increase, allowing more regional and long-distance trains to run. Every investment carried out by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship has a positive impact on the region’s development,” said Ireneusz Merchel, President of the Board of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe.

The completion of the project “Works on railway line No. 38 on the section from Giżycko to Korsze with electrification” is planned for the second quarter of 2026. The work, with a net value of PLN 876 million, will be carried out with the funds from the National Recovery Program.

On the Giżycko – Ełk section, work is concentrated at the Giżycko station and the Stare Juchy station, where new platforms are being built. Currently, earthworks and terrain reinforcement are being carried out at the stations. An underground passage is being built in Giżycko, where reinforcement and carpentry work is being done. The demolition of supports and the construction of watertight walls are underway on the Łuczański Channel bridge. The contractor has built almost all the foundations on which the supporting structures of the overhead line are erected. The completion of the work is planned for the fourth quarter of 2024.

After all the work is completed, the journey from Olsztyn to Ełk through Korsze and Giżycko will be shortened by about 50 minutes, taking less than 2 hours. Passenger trains will run twice as fast as they do now, from 80 to 160 km/h, and freight trains at 120 km/h.”