The funding comes from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme, which supports projects that improve transport links across the continent.
The amount represents about 16 perent of the total funding awarded in this round, according to Poland’s Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy.
Most of the money will go to modernising parts of the Rail Baltica route – a project linking Poland with the Baltic states and Finland – and installing a modern safety system on Polish railways.
State railway operator PKP PLK will receive nearly EUR 390 million for those two projects.
Rail Baltica is a strategic EU project designed to connect central and northern Europe by high-speed rail, improving passenger and freight links between Germany, Poland, the Baltic states and Finland.
A further EUR 18 million will go to planning a new railway section between Poland's southern city of Katowice and the Czech border, while EUR 44 million will be used to widen the shipping channel leading to the Baltic port of Świnoujście, allowing larger vessels to pass through.
"We’ve secured EUR 450 million that will make Poland’s transport network safer, faster and more competitive," Klimczak said on Tuesday.
The ministry added that Poland has received over PLN 12.7 billion (EUR 3 billion) in CEF funding as part of the 2021-2027 financial perspective, making it the top beneficiary among EU member states.
(ał/gs)
Source: PAP