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Currently, the country鈥檚 longest tunnel is the 2.34km-long Expressway S2 Tunnel in Warsaw, also known as the Ursyn贸w Tunnel.

The new project forms part of an initiative to modernise the railway section between Nowy S膮cz and the village of Chab贸wka in the southern province of Ma艂opolska.

The Polish railway infrastructure management company, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe, recently signed a PLN1.9 billion (US$480 million) contract to lead the project.

A consortium of Polish contractor Budimex and Turkish rail and infrastructure specialist G眉lermak Heavy Industry Construction and Contracting will oversee the tunnel鈥檚 construction.

Much-needed modernisation

Construction work is slated for completion in 2026, with the new rail line expected to cut travel times between Krak贸w and Nowy S膮cz from three hours to just one hour. Trains are expected to travel through the tunnel at speeds of up to 160kmh (99mph).

In a statement, Poland鈥檚 deputy infrastructure minister, Piotr Malepszak, said the modernisation programme, which is due to be completed in 2026, was long overdue, with most of the rail infrastructure built almost 150 years ago.

Funding for this project, along with the broader railway infrastructure improvements, is expected to come from the National Reconstruction Plan (KPO), part of the EU鈥檚 post-pandemic recovery fund.