Czech carrier RegioJet quits Polish domestic rail market but keeps international routes

In a statement released at 09:41 on 9 April, Czech rail operator RegioJet announced that it will terminate all domestic Polish services on 3 May 2026, citing what it calls an “uneven playing field” and regulatory hurdles. The withdrawal affects popular Kraków–Warszawa–Gdynia and Poznań–Warszawa trains, leaving state-owned PKP Intercity as virtually the sole provider on those corridors. RegioJet entered the Polish market in 2022 with an aggressive low-fare model aimed at business commuters and tourists alike. However, Polish regulators recently accused the company of failing to operate 23 scheduled trains in December 2025 and opened proceedings that could lead to fines of up to 2 % of annual turnover. The carrier says it will ‘’re-evaluate’’ a comeback once access rules are clearer. Passengers holding tickets for journeys after 3 May will be notified by SMS or e-mail and receive automatic refunds no later than 15 April. In addition, RegioJet is offering a goodwill compensation voucher of PLN 100. Travellers booked on international services—Przemyśl–Kraków–Prague and Warszawa–Prague—are unaffected. From a mobility perspective, the exit reduces competition on key north-south business corridors just as corporate travel demand rebounds. Companies with green-travel policies may have to shift staff onto PKP’s higher-priced EIP Pendolino services or, where time-critical, onto air shuttles between Warsaw and Gdańsk. Industry analysts note that Poland’s rail open-access regime remains one of the most liberal in the EU, but capacity constraints on the busy Central Trunk Line and platform-allocation priorities for PKP mean new entrants face steep operational challenges. The Transport Ministry has yet to comment on whether it will adjust track-access charges or slot allocation to lure another private competitor.