In the early hours of 26 October, Poland set clocks back one hour as Central Europe reverted to winter time. While a routine event, the time shift creates a small but critical ‘ghost hour’ for transport operators. PKP Intercity confirmed that 13 long-distance trains paused for exactly 60 minutes at predetermined stations, ensuring published arrival times remained accurate. Regional carriers such as SKM Trójmiasto issued detailed notices, highlighting three overnight trains that operated entirely on the new winter clock.
Airports also executed coordinated schedule rolls. Chopin Airport’s operations team resynchronised 87 departures, mainly early-morning Ryanair and LOT flights heading to hubs where local times did not change. Airlines reminded travellers that boarding-pass times reflect local time at departure, and that the extra hour could affect minimum-rest calculations for flight crews.
For mobility and relocation managers, the advice is to build slack into itineraries that straddle the DST change—particularly for Sunday-night returns or Monday-morning client meetings. Missed onward connections are rare but can be costly when involving Schengen-zone immigration checks at outstations.
The Ministry of Infrastructure reiterated its support for the EU-wide proposal to abolish the semi-annual clock change from 2027, arguing that the administrative burden on transport companies outweighs any daylight-saving benefits. Until then, Polish operators say their contingency playbooks—first tested in 2004—will continue to minimise disruption.
Airports also executed coordinated schedule rolls. Chopin Airport’s operations team resynchronised 87 departures, mainly early-morning Ryanair and LOT flights heading to hubs where local times did not change. Airlines reminded travellers that boarding-pass times reflect local time at departure, and that the extra hour could affect minimum-rest calculations for flight crews.
For mobility and relocation managers, the advice is to build slack into itineraries that straddle the DST change—particularly for Sunday-night returns or Monday-morning client meetings. Missed onward connections are rare but can be costly when involving Schengen-zone immigration checks at outstations.
The Ministry of Infrastructure reiterated its support for the EU-wide proposal to abolish the semi-annual clock change from 2027, arguing that the administrative burden on transport companies outweighs any daylight-saving benefits. Until then, Polish operators say their contingency playbooks—first tested in 2004—will continue to minimise disruption.
