The figures speak for themselves: ÖBB is investing EUR 3.5 bn in the Austrian rail network this year, EUR 1.7 bn is being channelled into rail expansion in Germany and EUR 3.6 bn is also planned in Poland. In the Czech Republic, EUR 1.46 bn is being invested in railway infrastructure in 2025 and this is expected to increase to EUR 2 bn by 2026. Euroconstruct expects Polish railway construction to grow by over 35% by 2027. “In Europe, the rail network will also be significantly expanded in the coming years as part of the general infrastructure expansion. PORR is at the forefront here. We are already successfully utilising our patented Slab Track Austria system in numerous countries”, says PORR CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss.

In addition to the new high-speed tunnel in Poland, the major railway construction projects in the order backlog also include large-scale projects on PORR’s other home markets, starting with Austria. As part of a consortium, PORR is equipping 33 km of the Koralm Tunnel and 27.3 km of the Semmering Base Tunnel with Slab Track Austria and providing the entire railway technology equipment. The largest rail expansion project in Austria - and the largest construction site in Austria overall - is of course the Brenner Base Tunnel. PORR is building the 25.2-km-long Pfons-Brenner section at a cost of almost one billion euros.

Largest construction site in Europe

Stuttgart 21 is currently the largest railway construction project in Germany: A “tunnel spider”, unique for a major city, is being built underneath the state capital  and will connect the new underground through-station to long-distance and regional transport. PORR has installed a total of 34.5 kilometres of the Slab Track Austria system as part of the Stuttgart 21 project. It was responsible for the planning, delivery, and execution of the system on the tunnel sections between the new Stuttgart main station and the Filderebene, as well as on the tunnel sections toward Ober- and Untertürkheim

“Germany is a market in which there will be a significant amount of activity in road construction, railway construction and building construction”, says Strauss. “This will one day be the largest construction site in Europe”. PORR is also expanding its expertise in the German rail sector as part of its M&A activities. It acquired almost 75% of the medium-sized company Knape Bahnbau GmbH, with which it plans to strengthen its regional presence in southern Germany.

Extensive expansion in Poland, Romania and Czech Republic

PORR has also won a contract worth EUR 428m in Romania. This comprises the renovation and modernisation of a strategic section of Romania’s railway infrastructure, the Craiova - Drobeta Turnu Severin - Caransebeș line, Lot 5. 32.6 km of the line will be double-tracked, with a total of 18 bridges and 54 culverts. The contract includes the renovation of the existing Rachitoberg Tunnel (496 m) and the construction of a new, 1,279-m-long, double-track tunnel, Poarta I. In addition, six stations will be renovated and modernised.

PORR is also playing a leading role in the renovation of the tram network in the Romanian capital. On behalf of Bucharest city council, it is modernising a central section of tram line 40, a contract worth around EUR 150m.

In the Czech Republic, PORR is steadily strengthening its market position, with several new projects won in 2025. The order backlog for 2026 already exceeds EUR 100m.  

And in Poland, PORR is one of the most important players on the market thanks to its extensive experience with comprehensive new railway construction and modernisation projects. PORR is at the forefront of key investments by PKP PLK, which is responsible for railway expansion. These include the contract for the LK354 Poznań-Piła railway line and the modernisation of the LK356 Wągrowiec-Gołańcz line. “One of the reasons for our success in Poland is the introduction of our Slab Track system. Slab Track Austria is being used in tunnelling for the first time in Łódź, for example”, says Strauss.

Slab Track Austria for high-speed railway lines

This ultra-modern and modular Slab Track system is particularly suitable for high-speed transport. Instead of ballast and railway sleepers, which are still frequently used as a base for the rails in railway construction, Slab Track Austria uses a top superstructure made of concrete. The advantages: A long service life, high stability and track accuracy as well as comparatively low vibrations and low noise pollution from passing trains.

PORR CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss: “What we demand from mobility is becoming more challenging: We want to be faster and faster, connect more and more routes, and travel sustainably at the same time. Slab Track Austria is an innovative Austrian invention that provides answers to the requirements of modern transport infrastructure construction”.