Starting today, drivers of electric cars can use 4 charging stations, put into service at train stations of PKP S.A.
The first charging stations were installed in the Silesia Province. The company plans to install further devices at selected stations in other provinces.
The first charging stations were commissioned at the railway stations: Katowice, Katowice Ligota, Częstochowa, and Gliwice. All have been equipped with two charging sockets, each with a capacity of 22kW. This allows charging two cars simultaneously. The devices have been equipped with a security system that prevents unauthorized persons from disconnecting the cable and interrupting the charging process. For ease of use, parking spaces at the charging stations were painted green and marked with a special pictogram.
– ‘Electromobility is one of the main priorities of the current government. I am glad that the Polish State Railways - a company that due to its activity is associated with ecology - is taking the next step in this direction. The charging stations put into service today are also an activity that is part of the strategy for responsible development,’ says Andrzej Adamczyk, minister of infrastructure.
– ‘The charging stations commissioned today are perfectly in line with the "Programme for Silesia" - an extremely important document for our province, containing the most important directions for further development. From the ecological point of view and for the sake of clean air, the electric vehicle charging station will probably encourage many residents to think about buying an e-car. Until now the lack of charging stations has been a major argument against that. Thanks to such investments as the one carried out by PKP, charging stations will be more accessible. Zero emission is a priority for us,’ emphasizes Jarosław Wieczorek, governor of Silesia.
– ‘One of the first major activities of PKP S.A. in terms of ecology was the construction of Innovative System Railways Stations - facilities on which solutions such as photovoltaic cells, green roofs, and rainwater recovery systems can be found. Today, we are going a step further - at selected railway stations in Silesia we put into service the first EV charging stations. One of their first potential users will be participants of the upcoming, this year's Climate Summit in Katowice,’ says Mirosław Antonowicz, member of the board of PKP S.A.
– ‘The programme adopted by us in 2017 for designing and manufacturing wall-mounted and free-standing charging stations is fully in line with the government's electromobility development programme. The effect of this is ecoMOTO stations, a few of which we have commissioned today. The devices are prepared to work in the operator’s system and in accordance with the applicable electromobility regulations they also have a certificate of conformity. Soon, the number of ecoMOTO charging stations available to the public will increase significantly, and the charging stations at railway stations will have a significant share in this,’ says Krzysztof Magierowski, president of the board of Kolejowe Zakłady Łączności sp. z o.o.
– ‘Many times the railway has been a precursor and at the same time a driving force for the development of new technologies. Telegraph, telephone, and the development of digital fibre optic lines are largely due to the railway. Today, PKP is again setting the direction, implementing in their station facilities integrated technology solutions based on the Internet of Things, elements of artificial intelligence, and above all, environmentally friendly solutions. For many cities shrouded in smog, this last aspect is particularly important,’ says Mirosław Gilarski, president of the board of PKP TELKOL.
In the first stage, PKP S.A. plans to install 10 EV charging stations. In addition to the devices commissioned today in Silesia, next year the company plans to mount charging stations at the railway stations: Warsaw Central, Warsaw East, Wrocław Central, Opole Central, Gdynia Central, and Gdańsk Wrzeszcz. In the future, the charging stations will also be the basis for the e-carsharing service, enabling the passenger to rent or leave an electric car.
In the first months, the charging service will be free. Importantly, the use of the station will also not require any prior registration by the driver.
The companies from the PKP Group are responsible for the implementation of the task. The delivery and assembly of the station was carried out by Kolejowe Zakłady Łączności in Bydgoszcz, and appropriate connections were made by PKP Telkol. Each device is covered by a five-year warranty.
