He said that the Central Transport Hub (CPK) project must adhere to sustainable development principles and benefit all regions of Poland.
Nawrocki made the announcement in Kalisz, a mid-sized city 250 kilometers west of Warsaw, during his first domestic trip since taking office.
He told a crowd gathered in the city’s market square that the CPK project “gives everyone hope that we will finally profit from our location in the heart of Europe.”
He added: “Poland must be the commercial and transport center of Europe.”
Calling the country “caught in an economic trap,” Nawrocki argued that only large-scale infrastructure investments—such as the new airport and accompanying rail network—could “break the impasse.”
He also stressed the importance of ensuring that medium-sized towns are not excluded from the benefits of the project, state news agency PAP reported.
“I will never accept cutting off cities like Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Włocławek or Łomża from the benefits we create together,” he said.
The president proposed a 2032 completion deadline for the project, saying it was written into the bill to ensure the government stays “motivated to work hard.”
Kalisz Mayor Krystian Kinastowski voiced support for the initiative, noting that Nawrocki had launched his election campaign in Kalisz with a promise to uphold the original CPK route proposed by the previous right-wing government.
Kinastowski criticized recent revisions by the centrist coalition government that would reroute the fastest trains around Kalisz via a bypass, arguing it would deprive the city of a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity.
The bypass, announced in March, would allow express services to avoid the existing Kalisz station, which had been included in 2022 public consultation maps, the PAP news agency reported.
Government officials say the change minimizes disruption, but local authorities argue it would split the city and require the relocation of 40 families.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP, bankier.pl