The Identification of Hazards Concerning the Character of Construction Works on Railway Sites in Poland

The railway investment in Poland is subject to many random factors, which have a significant impact on extending the deadline and increasing the planned cost. Railway investments are characterized by their distinctiveness in comparison to other construction works. To minimize the occurrence of unforeseen, random risks in future rail investments, the authors attempted to identify and indicate the most likely of them. The analysis concerns the implementation of railway investments in Poland, taking into account its legal and technical characteristics. The basic method of identifying the hazards of railway investments in Poland was a case study. The main threats were: bad preparation of the main contractor, difficulties in obtaining maps for design purposes, delay in the design documentation with external stakeholders, the award of contractor closures, difficulties in carrying out works related to encountering undeclared underground infrastructure and other hidden obstacles as well as the influence of the contracting party’s internal procedures on the course of the contract.