Competitor PKP Intercity changes its mind. No more dreams of cheaper tickets
RegioJet withdrew the applications for routes in Poland that had just been submitted. What next for the future of the Czech carrier in our country?
The Czech railway carrier RegioJet surprised passengers again. After the company unexpectedly decided to return to Poland just a few months after the high-profile termination of its operations in our country, another unexpected announcement was made. According to the latest information, RegioJet has already withdrawn its applications for 35 routes (including from Warsaw to Poznań, Gliwice and Krakow). As the carrier’s press office said in a statement sent to PAP, the reason is poor conditions on the Polish market.
However, RegioJet will not return to Poland
The plans were ambitious – just a few days ago, Interia wrote that RegioJet had submitted timetable applications to PKP PLK. The Czech carrier, which stopped operating in Poland on domestic routes at the beginning of May, was to return in December this year. with a wide range of connections. However, this will not happen – PAP reported that the Czechs have already withdrawn their proposal. “After a thorough analysis of the situation, we have decided to withdraw applications for the allocation of routes in domestic rail transport in Poland in the 2026/2027 timetable. Currently, we do not see any conditions for returning to the Polish domestic transport market,” confirmed RegioJet spokesman Lukasz Kubat.
Unfair competition rules
In the background of the Czechs’ decision there is still a conflict with PKP, which, according to the carrier, made it difficult for competitors to enter the market. “In addition to operational complications, we also struggled with limitations in terms of support, sales and marketing. We have passed these issues on to the appropriate institutions, and their assessment is still ongoing,” explains Lukasz Kubat in an interview with PAP.
This does not mean, however, that Poles will not use yellow trains at all. Passengers will still have access to international connections from Warsaw and Przemyśl to Prague, the development of which is currently a priority for the carrier.
The company does not rule out a return to Poland in the future. However, RegioJet wants PKP’s activities to be explicitly recognized as non-competitive.
