Polish Rail Operator PKP Intercity Loses PLN 2M Amid RegioJet Service Debacle

WARSAW — Polish state-owned railway operator PKP Intercity recorded an estimated PLN 2 million (approximately $500,000) in lost revenue between December 14 and January 4, after planned services by Czech carrier RegioJet failed to materialize, according to PKP Intercity CEO Janusz Malinowski.

Malinowski informed a parliamentary infrastructure commission that four PKP Intercity connections were removed from the timetable starting December 14 to accommodate RegioJet’s new routes. However, the Czech operator ultimately did not launch these services. PKP Intercity only reinstated its own trains on the affected routes from January 5, following a timetable correction.

RegioJet had announced on December 11, 2025, its intention to expand operations in Poland with the new annual railway timetable effective December 14. Despite initial plans for six pairs of trains on the Kraków–Warsaw route, the company introduced only three daily connections, with further services slated for gradual launch at a later date. RegioJet also reduced the number of its planned connections between Warsaw and Tri-City.

In response to the disruption, Poland’s Office of Rail Transport (Urząd Transportu Kolejowego – UTK) initiated administrative proceedings on December 17. The regulator is investigating RegioJet for alleged violations of prohibitions against unlawful practices that infringe upon the collective interests of passengers in rail transport. The inquiry specifically addresses the carrier’s failure to provide publicly announced services for 23 connections on the Kraków–Warsaw–Gdynia and Warsaw–Poznań routes since December 14, 2025. The UTK oversees rail transport safety and market regulation in Poland.