Poland’s national railway carrier PKP has signed a contract to buy 63 high-speed engines, with an option for a further 32, for a total sum of PLN 3.5 billion (EUR 808 million), the company’s biggest-ever deal.

PKP’s subsidiary PKP Intercity signed the contract with Polish train maker Newag on Wednesday. PKP’s new high-speed engines will travel at up to 200km/h. They will come certified for use also in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia, boosting PKP’s international routes. The new high-speed locomotives are slated for delivery between 2026 and 2029.

Source – Polskie Radio

Poland’s eastern city of Lublin has launched a new hub for public bus transit and rail transport, worth PLN 340 million.

City administrators opened the new facility, called the Metropolitan Station, on Friday. Lublin’s Mayor said it was a „long-awaited and historic moment” for the city and the surrounding region. The mayor also praised the Metropolitan Station’s „impressive look” and „eco-friendly design.” The European Union co-financed the project, providing PLN 194 million.

Source – Polskie Radio

Polish cinemas sold 50.3 million tickets in 2023, 16% more than in 2022, with box office led by „Barbie,” „Puss in Boots” and „Oppenheimer,” according to industry estimates.

Poland’s 2023 cinema attendance figures were unveiled by Helios, a chain of multiplex theatres. Polish cinemas sold a total of 50.5 million tickets last year, a rise of 16% on 2022. The figure includes around a million admissions for „non-movie events,” such as broadcasts of sporting events, opera plays and theatre plays, according to officials. Ticket sales were worth PLN 920 million. Leading the box office sales were Barbie which sold 2.8 million tickets, US animated film Puss in Boots: The Last Wish which sold 2.4 million and US-UK biopic Oppenheimer coming in third with 1.9 million tickets sold.

Source – Polskie Radio

Residents of Gdańsk are able to borrow medical rehabilitation equipment thanks to the work of the Municipal Family Assistance Center.

The service allows eligible patients to borrow equipment free of charge for up to 6 months, with just the need to pay a deposit and a written recommendation from a doctor or physiotherapist. The deposit is returned after returning the device. Equipment that is available includes walkers, crutches and orthoses, as well as rehabilitation beds, corsets, bath lifts and massage apparatus. The service is run by the „Community of Hearts” Association at 115 Aleja Generala Józefa Hallera in Gdańsk Wrzeszcz. Last year, 350 people took advantage of the service’s offer.

Source – Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be a snowy day in a moderate breeze with temperatures of 2 degrees centigrade (35 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and 1 degree overnight. Tomorrow will be a cloudy day in moderate winds and temperatures of 3 degrees during the day and 0 degrees overnight.

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Martin Caren/MarWer