Topping-Out Ceremony at the ŁKA Technical Facility Building
Construction of the Technical Facility for Łódź Agglomeration Railway (ŁKA) trains is already at the halfway point. The hall structure is complete. Work on building the repair pits for rolling stock is coming to an end. On 8 April 2014, in the presence of Witold Stępień, Marshal of the Łódź Voivodeship, the investor and the contractor, a traditional topping-out wreath was hung on the building.
The Technical Facility of Łódź Agglomeration Railway is located near Łódź Widzew station on an area of 4.5 hectares. Work on repairs and routine maintenance of the operator’s rolling stock will be carried out on its premises.
The technological solutions and specialist equipment applied will make it possible to maintain a reliability rate for the rolling stock at 98 per cent. The facility is already called a gem of Polish railways. The modern rolling stock of Łódź Agglomeration Railway and its own service centre are meant to guarantee residents of the Łódź Voivodeship comfortable trains that will run frequently, on time and without technical problems. It will be a new quality of travel – said Witold Stępień, Marshal of the Łódź Voivodeship.
The general contractor of the service facility for ŁKA trains is Trakcja PRKiI S.A. Work on the reinforced concrete and steel structure of the hall has been completed, the ground has been prepared for floors and specialist equipment, and two inspection and repair pits have been built. Construction of the third and last pit is currently under way. Installation of the roofing and of the hall’s external walls, made of sandwich panels, has begun. Once further administrative decisions are obtained, work will start on: construction of the power, water and sewerage networks and of the track layout connecting the facility with Łódź Widzew station. At present, six specialist crews totalling more than 80 people are working on the construction site, using several dozen pieces of construction equipment. From mid-April, further work will be carried out systematically, and the number of workers will increase further. In place of the current 10-hour working day, a two-shift system will be introduced, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
As general contractor of the rolling stock facility of Łódź Agglomeration Railway and of the modernisation of Widzew station, we are effectively coordinating work on two large investments carried out side by side at the same time. This allows us to minimise disruption for residents and passengers – says Roman Przybył, President of the Management Board of Trakcja PRKiI S.A. We are pleased that, as the leader of the railway construction market in Poland, we are at the same time delivering projects related to rolling stock servicing and infrastructure in the Łódź Voivodeship, which is building modern transport founded on rail.
The hall will be 140 metres long and 40 metres wide. Inside, there will be a vehicle wash and three inspection and repair tracks. The facility will be equipped with specialist devices: an under-floor wheel lathe for turning wheelsets, a laser station for measuring wheelsets, a scale for measuring wheel load, a drop table, and de-icing, sanding and watering stations. The investment meets high requirements for environmental protection and worker safety.
The Technological Facility of Łódź Agglomeration Railway will be the most modern service centre for trains in Poland. Six months have passed since construction began. Work is proceeding according to schedule, and is even ahead of it – said Andrzej Wasilewski, President of Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna Sp. z o.o.
Completion of the investment is planned for 28 September 2014.
The value of the investment is PLN 55,245,333. The facility is being built as part of the project “Construction of the Łódź Agglomeration Railway System”, co-financed from EU funds.
