British architecture and engineering firms Foster & Partners and Buro Happold unveiled the project of the future Centralny Port Komunikacyjny multimodal hub (CPK), located 37 km from Warsaw, by making public the plans for the air terminal, the railway station and the public transport interchange.
” On schedule and consistent with previous announcements, we are constantly implementing the next steps towards the construction of CPK. I am convinced that this modern architecture, which was developed together with world-renowned designers, will create huge business opportunities, attract foreign investment and economically boost not only Poland, but the entire region of Central and Eastern Europe. announced Polish Deputy Minister for Funds and Regional Policy Marcin Horała.
According to the plans of the British cabinets, the centerpiece of the multimodal interchange is an atrium, seamlessly connecting the airport terminal, the station and the other modes of transport under a singular and unifying canopy. The atrium will be the ” airport foreground », the link between the terminal and the station, an accessible space where all passengers meet, whatever mode of transport they use.
The airport terminal, with an area of approximately 400,000 m2, will be located on two levels, and arrival and security checks will be both intra-Schengen and non-Schengen. Once through security, non-Schengen passengers will descend to another level, where they will have their own part of the terminal, with restaurants and shops. The terminal will be directly connected to four modular sub-terminals, with potential for future expansion depending on market demand. In all areas of the terminal there will be two-way conveyor belts for passengers, which will minimize transfer times and increase the level of service.
In addition to traditional check-in counters, the terminal will be equipped with self-service check-in kiosks, self-service baggage drop-off and kiosks with biometric capabilities. Security and document control will be fully automated with CT scanners and automated gates. The airport will use baggage scanning solutions, including for the rapid management of baggage in transfer.
The railway station will serve the needs of airport operations and serve as a Polish national transport hub, integrating train connections to/from major cities in Poland. It will house 6 underground platforms (12 tracks) serving regional and long-distance trains. The platforms will be covered so that it is possible to access the station, which will be located in the atrium on the north side of the terminal and connected to it, comfortably and dry.
Users will have direct and convenient access from the train station to the bus station and the air terminal. The interchange will include bus platforms, waiting areas equipped with ticket counters and retail facilities. Hotels are planned near the bus station, marking the first developments of Airport City, the city of Centralny Port Komunikacyjny.
With an estimated cost of 8 billion euros and partly funded by the EU, this Polish multimodal hub is considered the largest infrastructure construction project currently underway in Europe. The first phase of the airport, i.e. two parallel runways and an infrastructure to accommodate 40 million passengers, is expected to be operational in 2028. According to IATA forecasts, Centralny Port Komunikacyjny Airport could accommodate up to 65 million passengers in 2060.
The project assumes that the airport will be expanded in a modular fashion thereafter, with the new platform set to become the main air transit hub for Central and Eastern Europe when it opens in the summer of 2028. Eventually, Centralny Port Komunikacyjny will absorb most of the air traffic from Warsaw’s other two airports, Chopin and Modlin, which will see their role in Polish air connectivity reduced.
