Alstom has announced that it has signed an agreement with PKP Intercity, Poland’s long-distance rail operator, to deliver 42 Coradia Max electric multiple units (EMUs) and maintain them for thirty years.

The contract is worth 6.9 billion złoty (approximately 1.6 billion euros), and includes the option to buy 30 additional trains.

The Coradia Max fleet will be capable of speeds up to 200 km/h.

Alstom’s Polish engineering team will contribute to the design, and the vehicles will be assembled in Poland, making use of Polish specialists to build the trains at the Chorzów site and producing their bogies at the Nadarzyn site.

The new trains are comfortable and reliable, and will be deployed on the country’s busiest intercity routes, supporting Poland’s transition to low-emission transport.

Alstom will be responsible for all preventive, corrective, and overhaul maintenance activities across the Coradia Max fleet.

It will also provide cleaning services and will be supported by Alstom’s Fleet Support Centre and HealthHub digital platform, which enable condition-based and predictive maintenance.

Alstom will use advanced digital tools to detect potential issues before they arise.

The trains’ four double-deck end cars and two single-deck intermediate cars, together with the modular platform design, will provide 550 seats, flexibility to operate, and the ability to tailor the trains to specific routes and passenger needs.

Coradia Max boasts passenger features including air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, power sockets, reading lights, spacious luggage racks, bicycle and stroller areas, quiet zones, family compartments, a bistro area, and wide automatic doors.

The trains provide for step-free boarding from 760 mm platforms, and where platforms are of a different height, automatic lifts enable access for passengers with reduced mobility.

The new trains will be dual-voltage (3 kV/25 kV), which will allow them to run across Poland and the Czech Republic.

More than 500 Coradia Max trains are already operating or on order across Europe, including in Denmark and Italy.

“Poland stands at the heart of Alstom’s global innovation strategy. Our teams here continue to deliver world-class technology and craftsmanship that serve passengers across Europe and beyond. With the Coradia Max, we are once again raising the bar for sustainable mobility, designed and built in Poland, for Polish passengers. A decade after revolutionising intercity travel with Pendolino, we are proud to take the next leap forward together with PKP Intercity, delivering a fleet that embodies the future of rail: faster, greener, and more comfortable than ever before.”

Andrew DeLeone, President, Alstom Europe