POLAND: The Remtrak rolling stock maintenance business of passenger operator PKP Intercity held a ceremony on November 29 to mark the completion of a 10m złoty upgrade programme at its Idzikowice works, including the construction of a new paint shop and the extension of the existing maintenance building.
The expanded facilities should enable work to be undertaken on up to five vehicles at any one time, increasing output from 14 to 20 cars a month. By undertaking more repair and refurbishment work in-house, PKP IC hopes to improve fleet availability while reducing both costs and its dependence on outside contractors.
The investment programme at Idzikowice has created 100 new jobs in addition to the existing staff of 186. A second phase would see a new workshop building provided to undertake repairs of electrical, braking and controlled-emission toilet systems, as well as facilities for bogie testing.
