POLISH regulator, the Office of Rail Transport (UTK), approved 10 new open-access passenger services in April and May. Applications were submitted by five operators - RegioJet, FlixTrain, domestic companies Koleje Dolnośląskie, Koleje Wielkopolskie, Koleje Mazowieckie, and SKPL Cargo. Each operator will run the services at their own financial risk.

UTK approved the applications following an assessment of the impact on existing operations, which raised no objections.

RegioJet was granted approval to launch a Kraków Płaszów - Warsaw - Gdańsk Główny service from December 15 2030 to December 8 2035. The operator can run up to seven daily services in each direction, using locomotive-hauled trains with either Traxx MS or Vectron locomotives and six to 10 coaches. RegioJet was granted a licence to operate in the Polish market by UTK in August 2024.

FlixTrain received approval to operate cross-border services between Warsaw and Berlin, beginning on December 14 and continuing until December 14 2030. The company will limit access to international travellers on the service, which will use locomotive-hauled trains with a minimum of 240 second class seats, including spaces for families and passengers with reduced mobility. Two return services per day are planned initially.

SKPL Cargo has permission to operate cross-border services from Warsaw to Kovel, Ukraine, via Dorohusk on the Polish border, until December14 2029. At least one daily return service will operate, serving Pilawa, Dęblin, Puławy Miasto, Lublin Główny, Świdnik Miasto, Chełm, and Dorohusk. The fleet will consist of SN84 or SN85 DMUs or equivalent.

SKPL has also received authorisation to run domestic open-access services between Wrocław Główny and Poznań Główny from January 1 2031 to December 31 2035. It will operate 16 daily services using Stadler Flirt 3 and/or Siemens Mireo EMUs or equivalent, supplementing regionally-funded public service obligation (PSO) services in Lower Silesia and Wielkopolska.

Koleje Mazowieckie has received approval to operate services from Warsaw to Ustka via Gdańsk and Słupsk from June 26 2027 until August 31 2031. Four return services will operate a day using EU47 electric locomotives in push-pull formations of four to six coaches, including a driving trailer.

Koleje Wielkopolskie received approval for three seasonal or weekday routes:

  • Poznań - Kołobrzeg via Piła and Szczecinek, operating at weekends in summer from June 28 to September 2 2029, using EN76 EMUs
  • Poznań - Świnoujście via Stargard and Międzyzdroje, also at weekends in the same period, using EN76 EMUs, and
  • Wrocław - Warsaw via Leszno, Poznań, and Kutno, operating Mondays - Thursdays from May 30 to December 8 2029. Koleje Wielkopolskie will deploy various EMU classes, including 45WE and 48WEc.

Koleje Dolnośląskie has been authorised to run two services on the same route between Wrocław and Warsaw, via Poznań and Kutno, from May 30 to December 8 2025. One service operates on Fridays, and the other at weekends. Rolling stock for both routes will include class 45WE, 48WEc, 36WEa, and other similar EMUs.

“These recent decisions will enable traffic on routes with strong potential for both daily commuters and tourism,” says Dr Ignacy Góra, president of UTK. “We are observing increasing interest in long-distance open-access services among operators typically focused on regional transport. These new services can make public transport more attractive.”

UTK reports that more applications are under review. Since 2016, UTK has issued over 180 decisions on such applications, with approximately 90% granted. Around 6% were denied due to the negative outcome of market impact assessments, while others were withdrawn by applicants before a decision was reached.