CZECH open-access operator RegioJet has announced that it will cease operating two domestic passenger services in Poland by May 3, less than six months after their formal launch at the December 2025 timetable change.
The company says it has decided to exit the Polish domestic market due to what it describes as “fundamental obstruction” that is preventing it from exercising its rights under European rail liberalisation rules. Despite the formal opening of the market to competition, RegioJet claims conditions for new entrants in Poland remain unequal, stating that it has been prevented from competing effectively by unfair practices employed by Polish State Railways (PKP), infrastructure manager PKP PLK, and PKP Intercity.
RegioJet chief executive, Radim Jančura, warned in a statement issued on April 9 that the situation could threaten the sustainability of the wider group. Board member, Jiří Schmidt, described Poland as “the market of the future” in a September 2025 interview with IRJ, underlining the significance of the withdrawal.
PKP cited “formal and technical misunderstandings” for the perceived breach of competition in a lengthy response to RegioJet’s allegations.
The services
RegioJet introduced trial operation on the Warsaw - Poznań and Krakow - Warsaw - Gdańsk- Gdynia routes on September 18 2025. The services became official at the timetable change on December 14 2025. However, the operator was unable to run an expanded service as planned in December, citing driver shortages and cancelling 23 trains. Full operation was implemented by April 1 as planned.
The operator was subsequently reprimanded by regulator UTK, which said on April 7 that RegioJet had engaged in unlawful practices that violated passenger interests and could now be subject to a fine of 2% of its revenues in the previous financial year. RegioJet said it fully compensated all of the passengers concerned, offering a bonus of Zlotys 100 to each person. The company has 30 days to appeal against the ruling.
The dispute
Central to the dispute which prompted RegioJet’s withdrawal are alleged breaches of Directive 2012/34/EU, which is intended to guarantee fair competition and non-discriminatory access to infrastructure across European Union (EU) member states. RegioJet argues that, since entering the market, it has faced multiple barriers.
Among its complaints, is the allegation that state-owned incumbent PKP Intercity restricted its access to station facilities via parent company PKP. RegioJet claims its station marketing campaigns were terminated and that it was denied permission to open ticket sales points, making passenger access to services more difficult, particularly for the elderly and those with reduced mobility.
The company has also criticised the national regulator UTK, alleging it is not acting independently in line with European legislation. According to RegioJet, the regulator has failed to ensure fair access to the market and protect new entrants from “dominant state-owned operators.”
Track access has proven another point of contention. RegioJet claims that PKP Intercity secured the most commercially attractive train paths, leaving the new entrant with less favourable timings and longer journey times on key routes such as Warsaw - Kraków. Some requested paths were reportedly denied altogether, undermining the operator’s timetable and financial objectives.
In addition, RegioJet alleges that PKP Intercity cut fares by up to 70% following its market entry, behaviour it characterises as predatory pricing aimed at forcing it out of the market. Around 90% of PKP Intercity’s services are subsidised, while RegioJet operates entirely at its own commercial risk.
Operational challenges include issues with maintenance facilities. RegioJet purchased a redundant depot from PKP Cargo in August 2025, but says the transfer has been blocked within the PKP holding structure. As a result, trains have had to be maintained outdoors.
The operator also alleges negative coverage by Polish state media and cites tensions with PKP Intercity’s chief executive Janusz Malinowski, including a legal complaint filed after a warning message from Jančura was made public.
The response
PKP has rejected the allegations, stating that RegioJet’s withdrawal is the responsibility of its management and describing the claims as unfounded. “The attempt to hold the PKP Group responsible for the failure on the Polish market is unfair to passengers and inconsistent with the facts,” PKP said in a statement.
The group said it operates transparently and remains open to cooperation, attributing disputes to “formal and technical misunderstandings.”
In addition, PKP Intercity says that it operates in accordance with “applicable national and EU law, including regulations regarding open access to rail infrastructure.” It also denies taking any actions aimed at restricting competition, stating that its tariff policy has not changed since 2022, and “is consistent with applicable regulations and market standards and does not constitute anti-competitive practices.”
Despite the setback, RegioJet says it intends to return to the Polish domestic market if conditions improve. “I sincerely apologise to all passengers,” Jančura says. “I cannot continue to jeopardise the future of the company… I believe that under more favourable conditions, we will be able to provide our services in Poland again.”
RegioJet also confirmed that it will continue to operate cross-border night train services from Prague to Krákow and Przemyśl, near the Polish-Ukraine border and its Prague - Warsaw service.
Meanwhile, rival open-access operator Leo Express confirmed it has no plans to leave Poland, where it began services between Kraków and Warsaw in March 2026.
