PKP faces loss of power over unpaid electricity bills

The Gliwice power plant (GZE) is threatening to pull the plug on Europe's largest rail junction, at Tarnowskie Gory, if national rail operator PKP fails to pay back at least part of what it owes in unpaid bills. GZE claims that PKP's electricity bills have remained unpaid since August, and now amount to over zl.10 million. GZE has been demanding repayment of the debt from the PKP management. However, since October 1 a new body, PKP Energetyka, has been in charge of paying the company's electricity bills. According to GZE spokesman Lukasz Zimnoch, "What we need at least is a guarantee that PKP will pay back the debt." The threats from GZE prompted the PKP board to convene for a meeting yesterday, but the company declined to reveal any information about what decisions had been reached. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 20) M.T.K.