Passenger stations’ managers are under obligation to publish a new timetable at least 10 days in advance to the introduction of a new timetable or timetable changes. Appropriate information should appear on posters or boards at train stations, platforms or passageways to platforms. The Office of Rail Transport inspected several passenger stations’ to verify whether this obligation was fulfilled. No major infringements were found.
The new timetable introduced a number of major changes for travellers. Below you can find a short overview.
- On several sections of the railway line No. 9 connecting Warsaw with the Tri-City the maximum speed permitted was increased to 200 km/h. Thus the Express Intercity Premium trains (Pendolino) will run from Warsaw Central Station to Gdańsk Główny (328 km) 2 hours and 32 minutes. So far it is the shortest scheduled rail travel time on this route.
- After modernization works on the railway line connecting Kraków with Katowice which significantly improved line parameters, the passengers were offered a wider choice of travel times and tariffs. The new timetable introduces 37 pairs of trains daily which operated jointly by PKP Intercity, POLREGIO and Koleje Śląskie. The price of a single ticket for a regional Kraków - Katowice train is PLN 13 (the “Kraków Tariff” offer) and the price for a single ticket for a long-distance train is PLN 15.90 (the “Cheap City Ticket” offer). Moreover, POLREGIO and Koleje Śląskie tickets are mutually recognized on this route. The lower ticket price and the reduced travel time is undoubtedly an interesting alternative to road transport so far prevalent on this route.
- PKP Intercity changed the category, from technical to commercial, for over 60 stops of its trains, i.e. in places where until now the trains were waiting on a single-track line to be able to continue the journey after the trains from the opposite direction passed. After these changes the residents of small towns gained access to long-distance connections. Unfortunately, in many cases they will be able to make only a one-way trip with a long-distance train. Nevertheless, additional PKP Intercity connections will complement the offer of regional carriers in such places, providing additional travel options, e.g. to the nearest local or regional centres.
- The long-distance PKP Intercity trains again stop in Otwock near Warsaw. In the new timetable once again after many years there is a new international IC Wawel train connecting Kraków with Berlin.
- Koleje Mazowieckie which are running local trains on the railway line No. 6 expanded the connection to Szulborze Wielkie. So far the trains reached only Małkinia. In the new timetable the route is to Szulborze Wielkie with stops at Zaręby Kościelne and Kietlanka.
- From January 2020 74 additional connections to/from Rzeszów will run in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The trains will be part of the new agglomeration railway project, Podkarpacka Kolej Agglomeracyjna (PKA), which is an example of a successful cooperation of the regional (voivodeship) government with local communities (poviats) which decided to participate in the costs of the regional railways. The frequency of passenger trains Between Dębica, Łańcut, Przeworsk and Rzeszów will rise to every 30 minutes.
- In the Podlaskie Voivodeship the new timetable will re-establish the connections on the routes Hajnówka - Białystok, Hajnówka - Bielsk Podlaski and Białystok - Siedlce.
- In the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship the number of regional connections will be reduced by approx. 40%. The changes are introduced in two stages – from December 13, 2020, and from January 1, 2021. These reductions will cover both electrified lines on which operates POLREGIO operates, as well as non-electrified lines on which Arriva RP trains run. The regional trains will not be launched on approx. 200 km of railway lines. The connections were suspended on the following routes: Wierzchucin - Lipowa Tucholska - Szlachta, Wierzchucin - Laskowice Pomorskie, Toruń Wschodni - Sierpc, Laskowice Pomorskie - Czersk and Bydgoszcz Wschód - Chełmża. The regional government announced that on the last two routes the traffic will be re-established when schools are reopened.
The President of the Office of Rail Transport appealed to the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship to reconsider whether the changes to the schedule are sound and necessary, pointing out their negative impact on passengers which for residents of many towns borders on transport exclusion. - After a pilot phase during the 2019/2020 timetable Koleje Dolnośląskie decided to increase the number of stops on request by 20. In total in Dolny Śląsk region there are 22 such stops. Stops on passenger’s request allow the carrier to reduce operating costs while addressing the needs of residents of smaller towns where regular stops are not scheduled.
- Koleje Śląskie introduced a new weekend transport offer – Beskidzki Sprinter. The offer covers 6 pairs of regional trains which depart in the morning hours from larger cities in the central and northern part of Silesia region towards cities in the south of the region and to Zakopane.
- In the new timetable tariffs (which depend on distance travelled) were updated in the ticket selling systems of railway carriers. As a result ticket prices on some routes may have changed.
For our safety please remember to cover your mouth and nose with mask, helmet or clothes when in public transport.