Arriva wins 10 year rail contract in Poland

European passenger transport group Arriva has been awarded a 10year regional rail contract in the Kujawsko Pomorskie region ofPoland.

The group’s Polish rail business, Arriva RP, has signed acontract to operate 2 million train-kilometres annually for thenext 10 years on all non-electrified lines in the KujawskoPomorskie region.

For the last three years Arriva has operated rail services inthe region under the first private passenger rail service awardedin Poland.

The new contract extends the Arriva RP network to include a newline which will increase the company’s annual kilometresoperated in Poland in 2011 by up to 15 per cent over that in 2010.The company will invest in four new diesel trains within the nexttwo years.

David Evans, Arriva’s managing director for MainlandEurope, said: “This is the first passenger rail contractawarded for such a long period in Poland. It provides anopportunity to build on the work we have been doing with ourpartners in Kujawsko Pomorskie, investing in new rolling stock andimproving travelling conditions and value for money for peopleusing our services."