The so-called Central Transport Hub (CKP) was a flagship infrastructure project of the previous Law and Justice (PiS)-led government to be based on a multi-billion-złoty mega-airport between Warsaw and the central city of Łódź. Due to its mushrooming ambitions and budget, the current government led by Donald Tusk shelved the plans pending an audit and re-evaluation.

Tusk faced criticism of holding back Poland’s development amid reports his government had abandoned the project completely. On Saturday, the prime minister struck back at his detractors on the X platform.

“The Central Waste of Money [a Polish play on words on the initialism CPK] came to an end decisively on October 15 [the date of the 2023 general election],” he tweeted. “We are moving forward with construction of the communication of the future. And no trolling will change that.”

The Tusk government unveiled plans on Wednesday for an alternative transportation concept based around a €30-billion airport in central Poland, to be located 40km from Warsaw, which Tusk said would be “the most modern in Central Europe,” while Warsaw’s Chopin airport is to be expanded. Tusk said Poland would become “one big megalopolis.”

He said a building permit for the airport in Baranów would be obtained by 2026, a rail tunnel would be completed by 2029 and the airport by 2031. The government also said that in place of the planned rail links, a ‘Y’-shaped high-speed line would connect Warsaw with Łódź and then on to Poznań and Wrocław in the west, served by trains running at up to 300 km/h.