What’s next for CPK? Prime Minister Donald Tusk presents plans
Prime Minister Donald Tusk informed during today’s press conference about the future of the Central Communication Project (CPK). The investment will continue, but with modifications.
– My colleagues were given a very difficult task from the very beginning. I asked these very competent people to present as quickly as possible the state of affairs that we inherited from our predecessors – Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at the beginning of the conference, emphasizing that the team’s task was to separate politics, propaganda and emotions.
The head of government emphasized that the CPK project has cost PLN 2.7 billion so far, although in reality it was “on the designers’ boards” and “not many things happened”. According to the prime minister, the tunnel under Łódź is considered a symbol of the incompetence of the previous team. – CPK should be interpreted as the Central Cash Draft, it was a bit like that recently. The tunnel under Łódź is a symbol, it is a mixture of cunning and incompetence – said the head of government.
In his further words, the Prime Minister made it clear that the project would be continued, but with modifications.
“Triple Jump into Modernity”
— This project is to be a triple leap into modernity — announced Tusk. – This project must take into account the great treasure that is regional Poland – he added.
Tusk revealed that the railways are not to be built from scratch, “in order to connect in Baranów”. – We are preparing a model that will not harm anyone who will be dispossessed. The need for dispossession will be radically reduced. We will not build an illusion – said the Prime Minister.
The head of government announced that “Poland will become one big megalopolis”. – The railway network that we propose will be railways that connect Polish cities with each other – said Tusk.
The Y project is to be the beginning, which is to connect Warsaw with Poznań and Wrocław. – It is to be a 100-minute project. In that time, we will be able to travel from Warsaw to Katowice, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań and Gdańsk – said the prime minister.
The second element is to be the idea of ”close to the airport”, because, as Tusk emphasized, it is unlikely that “someone from Wrocław or Szczecin would dream of first getting to Baranów to be able to fly from the airport”. The government – as the Prime Minister said – wants to take care of “a rational network of regional airports”. As part of the development, the airport in Modlin is to be invested in, which would be a center for low-cost airlines. However, the port in Baranów is to be built anyway.
– It must be based on realistic assumptions. The original assumptions were made up and spoke of 200 million passengers per year. – said the head of government.
Tusk emphasized that the airport in Baranów is to be the most modern in Europe and is to accommodate 34 million passengers per year. The first planes should take off from there in 2032. “We have also decided to expand the motorway between Warsaw and Łódź, where the third and fourth lanes of the motorway will be built,” the prime minister announced.
Tusk also referred to the future of Okęcie. – The function of this airport will change. It will be modernized. We want to provide it with the communication function of the future – said the prime minister.
Poles on the future of CPK
A recent SW Research survey for “Wprost” shows that more than half of Poles expect the current team to continue work on the construction of the CPK. When asked “In your opinion, should the CPK construction project be continued?”, 53% responded affirmatively. 23% of respondents had the opposite opinion, and 24% had no opinion on the matter.