The Integrated Railway Network (Polish: Zintegrowana Sieć Kolejowa - ZSK) is a project of the Ministry of Infrastructure aimed at developing a comprehensive railway network model for the entire country, including the Central Communication Port (CPK). To support the work on the project, the Ministry of Infrastructure has appointed an expert Scientific Council, to which prof. dr hab. Iwona Sagan, Head of the Department of Socio-Economic Geography at the Institute of Socio-Economic Geography and Spatial Management of the University of Gdańsk, has been invited.
‘For the first time since the systemic transformation of the Republic of Poland, a comprehensive model of the railway network will be developed,’ says prof. dr hab. Iwona Sagan. It is not only intended to correct the mistakes and omissions of the 1990s (when many railway lines were closed down), but above all to respond to contemporary challenges related to development, defence, improvement of the quality of life, and current needs in the field of passenger and freight transport. This is almost a historic moment of change in the general thinking about the railway network in Poland.
Prof. Iwona Sagan adds that the idea of designing such a network for the country is not entirely new:
‘Dr hab. inż. Andrzej Massel from the Railway Research Institute referred to historical plans during the May meeting of the Scientific Council. Railway network models were discussed shortly after regaining independence, as well as after the end of World War II. Finally, the time has come for a comprehensive revitalisation of this part of the transport network.’
As part of the Ministry's initiative, meetings have already been held in 16 provinces. Their aim was to examine local needs and expectations in terms of railway development.
‘We are now entering the stage of consolidating these expectations, needs and plans into a single coherent project,’ explains prof. I. Sagan, when asked about the role of the Scientific Council. ‘To this end, the Ministry has decided to establish an advisory body composed of scientists and experts specialising in many different fields related to territorial development, including, of course, the development of transport networks.’
The aim of the Scientific Council is to support work on the ZSK project, including through the analysis of proposals developed within the Regional Expert Panels, interdisciplinary workshops conducted in each province, as well as the results of the activities of experts from CPK and PKP PLK (taking into account the conclusions from the regions). The work of the Council will place the ZSK in a broader social, planning and economic context and ensure a high standard of industry discussion, resulting in a long-term plan for the development of the railway network in Poland.
The Council consists of scientific authorities from leading Polish universities, as well as representatives of local government and business. These are experts specialising in many fields, including railways, transport, logistics, spatial planning, regional development, modelling, economics, geography, tourism, international affairs and industry.
‘This is a very open group, representing a wide range of perspectives relevant to the ZSK project,’ emphasises prof. Iwona Sagan. ‘I feel honoured to have been invited to join this team.’
The inaugural meeting of the Scientific Council of the Integrated Railway Network (ZSK) took place on 8 May 2025 in Warsaw.
The composition of the Scientific Council of the project:
- prof. dr hab. inż. Marianna Jacyna, Warsaw University of Technology
- prof. dr hab. Iwona Sagan, University of Gdańsk
- prof. dr hab. inż. Aleksander Sobota, Silesian University of Technology
- prof. dr hab. inż. Andrzej Szarata, Krakow University of Technology
- dr hab. Andrzej Sztando, Wrocław University of Economics
- prof. dr hab. Przemysław Śleszyński, Polish Academy of Sciences
- dr hab. inż. Maciej Kruszyna, Wrocław University of Technology
- dr hab. inż. Rafał Kucharski, Jagiellonian University
- dr hab. inż. Andrzej Massel, Railway Research Institute
- dr hab. Robert Tomanek, University of Economics in Katowice
- dr hab. Bogdan Wierzbiński, University of Rzeszów
- dr hab. Michał Wolański, Warsaw School of Economics
- dr Michał Beim, Sobieski Institute
- dr Jakub Jakóbowski, Centre for Eastern Studies
- dr Izabela Kisilowska, Kearney
- dr Jakub Majewski, University of Warsaw
- dr Andrzej Sikora, AGH University of Science and Technology
- dr Michał Zajfert, Polish Academy of Sciences
- Marek Chmurski, Warsaw City Hall
Information on the appointment of the ZSK Scientific Council on the CPK website
