THE first of 31 Link II dmus being supplied by Pesa, Poland, to Czech Railways (CD) was unveiled at the Velim test track on June 28. The first four trains will enter service on regional services in the Czech Republic in September.

PESA Bydgoszcz, Poland, has selected Voith to supply diesel drive systems for a fleet of four two-car Link dmus ordered by Arriva last November for regional services in the Polish region of Kujawsko-Pomorskie.

PKP Intercity, Poland, has awarded five contracts worth a total of €40.5m to refurbish 68 long-distance coaches to three domestic suppliers.

Pesa Bydgoszcz and its subsidiary ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki have secured three of the five contracts worth €22.5m for the modernisation of 38 vehicles, while H Cegielski will upgrade 20 coaches in a €12.4m deal. Newag has secured a €5.5m contract to refurbish the remaining 10 vehicles.

The vehicles, which are destined for use on Szczecin – Przemysl services, will be modified for 160km/h operation and equipped with air-conditioning and bicycle storage.

DRIVER familiarisation has begun on the extension of Warsaw's SKM suburban rail network to Frédéric Chopin Airport.

Liberalisation of Polish railfreight has arguably been a great success, with open-access operators now controlling almost half of the market. But with high fixed costs and static volumes, the industry still faces fundamental challenges, as Keith Barrow discovers.

PKP's long-distance subsidiary is modernising its rolling stock and fare collection systems in an effort to win back passengers, as Keith Barrow reports.

PLANS to reopen two cross-border lines in Germany - one in the south into the Czech Republic and the other in the north into Poland - are gaining traction.