Polish railway punctuality declines amid rising passenger demand

Data from the Office of Rail Transport (UTK) reveals contrasting trends in the Polish railway sector. In the second quarter of 2026, passenger train punctuality dropped to 89.3%, down from 93.3% during the same period in 2025. This decline was marked by a 32.5% increase in cancelled trains, totaling nearly 5,400 cancellations in Q2 2026. Officials attributed these disruptions primarily to extreme weather, including high temperatures affecting rolling stock and storms damaging infrastructure.

Despite punctuality challenges, passenger demand remains high. In 2025, the Lublin–Warszawa route saw 1.32 million passengers, averaging approximately 3,620 travelers daily. Most passengers on this route (98%) purchased single-use tickets. Nationally, the Gdańsk–Gdynia route remains the most popular, serving 6.67 million passengers in 2025, followed by the Warszawa–Siedlce and Warszawa–Kraków connections.