Rail travel in Poland
Photo: AdziaK, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Poland has an expansive rail network of over 18,000 km of track. Poland by rail is usually a reasonably timely, affordable and efficient means of getting between cities. While much of the network has been modernised, track quality and average speeds are generally worse than in Germany. The fastest corridors operate at up to 200 km/h, but only on a limited set of corridors.
Most services in the country are run by PKP, shorthand for Polskie Koleje Państwowe (lit. Polish State Railways). Polregio (which was once a part of PKP but split up as per EU requirements) runs the local and regional train routes.
UnderstandThere are several important route corridors in Poland.
TalkAnnouncements and signage is almost always bilingual in both Polish and English.
TicketsTickets can be searched or purchased online via the following:
International connectionsPoland is in the Schengen Area – travel from neighbouring Schengen countries (Germany, Czechia, Slovakia and Lithuania) do not require fully-fledged border checks (although temporary passport/ID checks may still occur).
StationsThere are four categories of main railway stations (A–D), each offering certain standardised services depending on passenger volume (see overview, website is in Polish only).
Narrow-gauge railwaysPoland has many narrow gauge railways – these are mostly short sections of old sand-, beetroot-, mine- or simply commuter railways constructed mostly at the turn of 19th and 20th centuries.
Stay safeRail travel in Poland is generally safe and reliable, and serious incidents are rare. However, it never hurts to take the usual precautions.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Rail travel in Poland" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: AdziaK, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons