Tusk made the remarks during a ceremony in Łomża on Saturday, when a passenger train travelled the Ostrołęka-Łomża route for the first time since regular rail services were suspended in the early 1990s.
From Sunday, regular passenger services began operating between Łomża and the regional capital Białystok, run by state rail operators PKP Intercity and Polregio.
The restored connections provide links to the cities of Ostrołęka and Olsztyn.
"Łomża waited 33 years, and now the wait is over," Tusk said. "We are launching direct connections to Ostrołęka, Białystok and Olsztyn, and next year residents will be able to travel directly from Łomża to Warsaw."
According to the infrastructure ministry, the journey from Łomża to Białystok will take around 90 minutes, while travel to Olsztyn will take about two hours and 20 minutes. A direct connection to Warsaw is planned for 2027, with an expected travel time of one hour and 50 minutes.
Tusk said the government was restoring rail links not only to major cities but also to smaller communities, with plans to ensure that all counties in Poland are connected to the long-distance rail network.
"Poland has taken pride in its roads and motorways in recent years, but there was a sense that railways had been neglected," he said. "Today Poland is becoming the biggest investor in Europe when it comes to rail."
The prime minister said the rail network should remain above political disputes and credited railway workers and local authorities for helping restore connections to previously underserved areas.
He also told reporters that earlier government plans envisaged connecting Łomża to Warsaw in 2034, but his administration had accelerated the timetable.
Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak said the return of passenger rail services marked Łomża's re-entry onto Poland's railway map.
"Tracks that once symbolised neglect are becoming a route to work, school and university," Klimczak said. "They are becoming a symbol of new opportunities."
He said the restored services formed part of a broader investment programme that includes new railway lines, station upgrades, digitisation projects and the purchase of modern rolling stock.
Klimczak added that PKP Intercity had expanded its timetable by 30 percent compared with 2023, increasing the number of daily services by 129.
He also pointed to draft legislation recently approved by the government that aims to expand public transport services, particularly in smaller towns and rural areas, as part of efforts to reduce transport exclusion.
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Source: IAR, PAP