The infrastructure minister, Dariusz Klimczak, said Poland was at an important moment for its national infrastructure, with the development of rail connections being a crucial development.

"It will be a revolution for connections between Kraków and Nowy Sącz," he said.

"This investment is part of a larger project that will not only shorten the journey time and make the connections more effective, but will also significantly increase the room for manoeuvre for carriers, for the traffic of agglomerations, so that it will finally be possible to get from Kraków to Nowy Sącz in 60 minutes,” Klimczak explained.

"The longest tunnel in Poland will be built here, not only for rail but also in relation to road tunnels. We have a historic investment before us," the infrastructure minister added.

The tunnel will be built between the villages of Męcina and Mordarka. Construction work will also include 10 viaducts and 12 bridges. The investment will enable passenger trains to travel at up to 160 km/h and cargo trains at up to 100 km/h. The first stretch is scheduled for completion in 2026.