The Czech private operator RegioJet has announced that it is withdrawing from Poland’s domestic passenger rail market, less than a year after launching service on the Kraków–Warsaw route, accusing the state-owned railway group PKP of anti-competitive practices.
The company claims that access to infrastructure, stations, and maintenance facilities was hindered, while the dominant operator aggressively cut fares following the arrival of the new competitor. PKP Intercity, however, rejects the accusations and asserts that it acted in accordance with the law.
RegioJet entered the Polish market in September 2025, launching domestic services on the Kraków–Warsaw route and announcing expansion plans. Now, the company says it will cease domestic operations in Poland on May 3, 2026, but will continue to operate international trains between Przemyśl and Prague via Kraków and between Prague and Warsaw.
RegioJet Complains of Blockages at Stations, Depots, and Train Schedules
In its public statement, the Czech operator claims it has encountered “a series of actions that, in our opinion, violate the principles of fair competition.” The company states that it was denied sales points and promotional opportunities at train stations, which made it more difficult for passengers to access its services.
RegioJet also cites operational obstacles. According to the company, not all planned services received the necessary approvals, travel times were extended, and access to key stations and maintenance facilities was limited.
One example cited is a depot that RegioJet won in a bid but which the operator says it was unable to actually use. According to the company, it was prohibited from renting lines in the depot, which forced it to perform repairs on the cars outdoors, under unsuitable conditions, and to move more extensive repairs to the Czech Republic.
Allegations of Aggressive Fare Cuts
Another major point of contention concerns pricing policy. RegioJet claims that, following its entry into the market, ticket prices were reduced in some cases by up to 70%, which, in the company’s view, raises serious questions regarding competition in a market dominated by the state-owned operator.
The Czech operator also claims that nearly 90% of the routes operated by PKP Intercity are subsidized with public funds, while RegioJet operated without subsidies. Furthermore, the company claims that no agreement was reached regarding compensation for statutory discounts for certain categories of passengers.
In a separate statement, ALLRAIL, the European organization representing new rail operators, described RegioJet’s withdrawal as “a significant step backward for liberalization” and a worrying precedent for the opening of Poland’s rail market.
“We share RegioJet’s disappointment at having to withdraw from the Polish domestic market at this time and welcome the company’s open communication and concern for Polish passengers,” said Nick Brooks, ALLRAIL’s Secretary General.
He added that the Czech operator’s withdrawal “sets a worrying precedent, whereby the dominant operator can push competitors out not on the basis of the merits of their services, but through anti-competitive actions.”
PKP Intercity Rejects the Accusations
Shortly after RegioJet’s announcement, PKP Intercity stated that it was forced to respond due to “numerous inaccuracies and the one-sided nature of the narrative presented” by its Czech rival.
The Polish operator maintains that it acted in full compliance with the law and that it did not take any measures to block RegioJet’s operations or to restrict competition. PKP Intercity further notes that decisions regarding access to railway infrastructure and route allocation are made by independent bodies, not by the company.
This position complicates the picture of a withdrawal that, in the statement by RegioJet and ALLRAIL, is presented as a clear failure of the opening of the Polish rail market.
A market entry marked by problems from the very first months
The withdrawal comes after several tense months for the Czech operator in Poland. Although RegioJet launched its first domestic service in September 2025, the expansion promised for December was hampered by several difficulties.
In November, the company announced the postponement of the Poznań – Warsaw route. Then, in December, just a few days before the launch of a full schedule, it canceled a large number of trains for which passengers had already purchased tickets.
Furthermore, this week, the Polish Railway Office (UTK) concluded, following an investigation, that RegioJet’s actions in December constituted “illegal practices that violated the collective interests of rail passengers.” The conclusion is only the first step in a procedure that could lead to the operator being fined.
This is significant because it shows that RegioJet’s difficulties in Poland were not only related to the conflict with the dominant operator, but also to its own operational issues and its relationship with passengers.
A bad sign for railway market liberalization
Even in this context, RegioJet’s withdrawal raises serious questions about how competition actually functions in Polish rail transport. In theory, the market should be open to new operators under European rules on railway liberalization.
In practice, RegioJet claims it has run into a system where the dominant operator controls, directly or indirectly, key market points: stations, commercial access, infrastructure, facilities, and prices.
For supporters of liberalization, the Polish case risks becoming a classic example of the difference between market opening on paper and actual competition on the ground.
At the same time, RegioJet’s withdrawal cannot be cited solely as evidence of a hostile environment for newcomers. Launch issues, train cancellations, and the UTK investigation show that the Czech operator also faced serious difficulties in managing its market entry.
RegioJet is leaving, but the stakes remain
Beyond the specific dispute between RegioJet and PKP Intercity, the case has broader implications for the European rail market. If a private operator with regional experience, financial backing, and ambitions for international expansion cannot even maintain a single major domestic route in Poland, the question is how open this market really is to competition.
RegioJet says it is ready to return when the market offers “fair and transparent” conditions. Until then, its withdrawal from Poland will be viewed, at least by part of the industry, as a warning sign for rail liberalization in Central and Eastern Europe.
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