Kielce to become major high‑speed rail hub under integrated network project
Poland's Integrated Railway Network (Zintegrowana Sieć Kolejowa) project, valued at almost 610 billion zł, aims to connect the country’s largest cities within 100 minutes. The plan includes building about 4,700 km of new lines and modernising over 5,600 km of existing tracks. A new high‑speed corridor will link Warsaw, Krakow and Kielce, allowing speeds up to 350 km/h; travel time from Kielce to Warsaw is projected at 60 minutes and 40 minutes to Krakow.
Officials say the scheme will turn Kielce into a key north‑south interchange, with the Magistrala Małopolsko‑Świętokrzyska expected to carry most traffic from the Central Line by 2050. First high‑speed sections are scheduled to start construction after 2030, and total rail passenger numbers could rise to 720 million annually. Regional leaders highlighted benefits for tourism, local mobility and preventing out‑migration.