Polish Rail Soars: 89.2M Passengers & 2030 Target Smashed!

Polish rail operator smashes passenger records, carrying 89.2 million in 2025, exceeding its 2030 target five years early, fueled by European travel boom.

January 26, 2026 2:39 pm

🛑 Key Takeaways:

Poland’s long-distance rail operator carried a record 89.2 million passengers in 2025, a 13% year-on-year increase.
The operator surpassed its 2030 passenger target of 88 million by 1.2 million, five years ahead of schedule.
This growth reflects a wider European travel boom, validating the operator’s strategy to expand its daily services by nearly 60 trains in 2026.

WARSAW – Poland’s national long-distance rail operator transported a record 89.2 million passengers in 2025, a 13% increase over 2024 and 31% higher than 2023 figures. This performance allowed the company to exceed its 2030 strategic target of 88 million passengers five years early, signaling robust demand in a European transport market that also saw record passenger numbers at major airports and strong growth guidance from airlines.

Performance Metric	2025 Data
Total Passengers	89.2 million
YoY Growth (vs. 2024)	+13%
2030 Target Achievement	Exceeded by 1.2 million (5 years early)
Busiest Month	August (9.4 million passengers)
Busiest Day	August 17 (356,000 passengers)
Planned 2026 Service Expansion	+60 daily trains (total ~560)

Operational & Technical Details

The operator’s growth was consistent throughout 2025. The first quarter saw 18.4 million passengers, up 10% from the previous year. The summer holiday period (June-August) set a new record with 26 million travelers, an increase of nearly 3 million from 2024. August was the peak month with 9.4 million passengers (+15% YoY). The final quarter also showed significant acceleration, with passenger numbers growing 17% in September, 27% in October, and 23% in November.

To support this demand, the operator plans further service expansion in 2026. The new timetable includes nearly 560 daily trains, an increase of almost 60. The international service offering will see the largest relative growth, expanding by 17 trains to a total of 57.

Market Impact Analysis

Surpassing a long-term strategic goal five years ahead of schedule demonstrates the operator has significantly underestimated post-pandemic demand for rail travel. This performance aligns with broader trends across the European transport sector, where both airports and low-cost airlines reported record traffic in 2025. The operator’s success validates its ongoing fleet and service investment strategy. It also provides a strong mandate to accelerate future expansion plans to capture more market share, particularly on lucrative international routes where it is adding 17 new services.

FAQ: Quick Facts

What was the key achievement in 2025?

The Polish rail operator transported a record 89.2 million passengers, exceeding its 2030 passenger volume target five years ahead of schedule.

What is the operator’s plan for 2026?

The operator anticipates further growth in 2026 and will expand its services to nearly 560 daily trains, an increase of almost 60 compared to the previous timetable. International services will grow from 40 to 57 trains.