RegioJet will cease domestic operations in Poland on 3 May 2026, ending its Kraków–Warsaw–Gdynia and Poznań–Warsaw connections. The Czech-based private operator points to alleged anti-competitive circumstances, including “blocked infrastructure access, restricted sales points, and predatory pricing” by PKP Intercity, Poland’s state-owned rail operator, and the infrastructure manager PKP PLK, something PKP strongly denies.

After launching domestic trains in Poland in September 2025, RegioJet will exit the market this May, the private operator announced in a statement this week. It follows days after news of Poland’s rail regulator pointing to violations of passenger rights by the operator following a series of train cancellations shortly after its market entry in Poland. RegioJet faces a possible fine of up to 2% of its annual revenue because of that. This is not referenced by the operator however, which earlier this year also pointed to alleged anti-competitive behaviour from Polish state railways.

Market entry

RegioJet launched its single Kraków–Warsaw route on 18 September 2025 as a trial period to recruit and train staff before full operations. The company aimed to match its service standards from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary, where it operates seven-carriage trains with a seven-person crew.

Entering the domestic market in 2025, RegioJet claims that Poland’s state-owned operator PKP Intercity, through its parent company PKP SA, blocked marketing campaigns at stations and prevented the opening of sales points, particularly hindering access for vulnerable groups like seniors, children, and people with disabilities.

PKP SA, the parent company of Poland’s state railways, rejected RegioJet’s claims of obstruction, calling its withdrawal a “purely business decision”. It also stated that “RegioJet attempted to build its offering without providing the foundations: its own crew of drivers, technical support, and reliable analysis of the Polish market”. RegioJet also failed to secure a depot in Warsaw’s Praga district, which it had won in a PKP Cargo auction in August 2025. RegioJet claims it was blocked from acquiring it due to PKP SA’s veto rights. PKP did not respond to this allegation specifically.

RegioJet also accused PKP Intercity of predatory pricing, reducing its ticket prices by up to 70% compared to before RegioJet entered the market. The company asserts that competition law prohibits such pricing when a dominant entity employs it to eliminate a new competitor. RegioJet says it entered the market offering prices around half of PKP Intercity’s then-current fares and maintained this level.

PKP rejected the claims of predatory pricing, stating its tariff policy has remained unchanged since 2022 and is consistent with regulations and market standards.

PKP further denies RegioJet claims

RegioJet states that standard competition conditions ‘do not exist’ in Poland, despite European regulations. RegioJet says that the “current situation – including infrastructure blocking, sales restrictions, and predatory pricing – threatens the economic stability of the RegioJet group in the Czech Republic” and therefore withdraws from the Polish market. RegioJet says it is “ready to return when the market is truly open and provides fair and transparent conditions for all carriers”.

RegioJet emphasises that PKP Intercity is largely independent of competitors, as approximately 90% of its routes are subsidised. “The agreement between PKP Intercity and the Ministry is not public, although it is known that the level of subsidies increases annually,” says the operator. The routes of RegioJet were not part of such Public Service Obligations (PSO) contracts. The operator says it tried to reach an agreement on compensation for statutory relief for social groups, which it has so far financed with its own funds, but after several months, no agreement has been reached.

PKP argued that the rail sector in Poland is competitive, “with over a dozen passenger carriers operating under market principles”. It stated that attempts to blame PKP Group for RegioJet’s failure were “unfair to passengers and factually inaccurate”. It also claimed that in crisis situations, “the PKP Group had to take the initiative, reacting immediately and correcting errors resulting from the Czech carrier’s operational shortcomings”.

Media disputes

RegioJet also says “a clearly negative media campaign was conducted against our company, which became part of the political battle”. Though it says it has decided not to comment on this situation earlier, the operator does point out several situations. This includes PKP Intercity CEO Janusz Malinowski, who publicly shared a private text message from RegioJet company owner Radim Jančura and filed reports with counterintelligence and prosecutorial authorities, which RegioJet says triggered negative publicity.

In the text message, the RegioJet owner warned the head of PKP Intercity that any actions hindering market entry could be considered by antitrust authorities as abuse of a dominant position aimed at eliminating a new competitor. Meanwhile, Polish public media also declined to attend the historic first run of a competing domestic long-distance service. RegioJet claims they argued that, as state media, they can only positively report on the activities of a state-owned carrier. PKP Intercity responded to RegioJet’s statement, calling it “inaccurate and one-sided”.

Train paths not allocated

Back in January, RegioJet also warned of ‘possible anti-competitive practices’. The operator accused Poland’s rail infrastructure manager of not assigning four key Kraków–Warsaw connections, scheduled for launch in January and mid-January, and assigning them to PKP Intercity under the guise of “strengthening its market position”. PKP Intercity denied any actions aimed at restricting competition, emphasising its independence from PKP the  infrastructure manager and the market regulator.

The company described this as an attempt to force a new competitor out of the market, noting that PKP Intercity’s trains were not fully booked at the affected times and that the move lacked economic rationale. RegioJet warned this could constitute abuse of a dominant or monopolistic position, violating EU and Polish competition law, and indicated it would submit a complaint to the Polish antitrust authority.

Future plans and passenger refunds

RegioJet will continue running its international connections, including to Poland such as Przemyśl–Kraków–Prague and Warsaw–Prague. The company says it remains financially strong, ordering 75 new low-floor units capable of 200 km/h in partnership with Pesa Bydgoszcz.

Passengers affected by the discontinued domestic services will receive a full refund by 15 April 2026, along with a PLN 100 (€23.50) compensation payment. Radim Jančura, RegioJet’s owner, stated: “I sincerely apologise to all passengers. I cannot continue to jeopardise the future of the company I founded at the age of 23.”

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