Kraków 2025-02-05

Long-distance railway in Poland.

In the recent period, PKP InterCity launched an average of 420 long-distance trains per day, while in the holiday season there were 454 long-distance trains. In the holiday season of 2024, PKP InterCity increased the number of connections by as many as 31 pairs of trains more than in the holiday season of 2023. The carrier offered a journey on the Warsaw–Gdańsk route in 2 hours 25 minutes and on the Warsaw–Szczecin route in under 5 hours. Additional trains were launched to Kraków and Zakopane. For example, there were the trains: EIC 1850/8150 “Posejdon” on the Warsaw–Kołobrzeg–Warsaw route, EIC 1540/5140 “Jantar” on the Warsaw–Hel–Warsaw route, TLK 38174/83174 “Wolin” on the Kraków/Bielsko Biała–Świnoujście–Kraków/Bielsko Biała route, IC 18154/81154 “Lazur” Łódź–Ustka–Łódź. Some routes were extended. Many trains received additional carriages, and some trains were assembled from newly modernized carriages. The winter timetable is valid from 15 December 2024 to 8 March 2025.

PKP InterCity.

PKP InterCity is a Polish rail carrier that belongs to the PKP group. The company is engaged in the transport of passengers on long routes. In Poland, the carrier has a 15% share in passenger transport in terms of the number of passengers, but 58.8% in transport measured in passenger-kilometer scale. In 2023, the company served 15.2 billion passenger-kilometers.

The company was established on August 30, 2001, employing 1,500 employees. Currently (2022), the company employs 8,322 employees. The company transports passengers under the Express Intercity and Express Intercity Premium brands. Under the first brand, it uses electric and diesel locomotives with classic wagons and EZTs. Under the Express Intercity Premium brand, it uses 20 EZT ED250 Pendolino trains.

Initially, the competitor was the company Przewozy Regionalne, which in 2008, transferred express trains to InterCity. At that time, part of the rolling stock and employees were transferred to the InterCity company. With the introduction of the EZT ED250 Pendolino trains, the company began to make a profit. Pendolino trains are serviced at the Warszawa Grochów station.

In December 2014, after years of trials, the InterCity long-distance train category was created. These trains were reinforced with new purchases. EZT Flirt and EZT Dart were purchased, with a travel speed of 160 km/h. In August 2019, another 12 EZT Flirt units consisting of 8 cars were ordered from Stadler. The electric locomotives were renovated and modernized, some of which were adapted to a travel speed of 160 km/h. Many “Y” series cars were subject to extensive renovations and modernization. The renovations also concerned restaurant and bar cars. The company also has sleeping cars and couchette cars, which are operated by the subsidiary “Wars”. Since 2010, postal wagons are no longer used in Poland.

Currently (2024) PKP InterCity has 265 cars that can travel at a speed of 200 km/h. Currently (2024) PKP InterCity uses 51 types of cars, which differ, among others, in the number of seats (54, 66, 72, 88 seats), their location (compartment, non-compartment, eight- or six-seater) or the type of seat (car with seats, sleeper, couchette). At the beginning of February 2024, the company announced the contractor for the procedure for the purchase of 300 new cars, with the right of option for an additional 150 copies, which was the H. Cegielski – Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych factory.

Initially, the InterCity company did not have its own locomotives, because all of them were transferred to PKP Cargo. This turned out to be a bad solution. Therefore, the company gradually acquired new or modernized electric and diesel locomotives. In 2008, the company purchased 10 multi-system Eurosprinter ES64U4 Taurus electric locomotives to service international trains.

In 2009, InterCity had the following locomotives: 1 EP05, 157 EP07, 169 EU07, 9 EP08, 47 EP09, 50 SM42 (SP42), 19 SU45. In 2014, 10 SU160 Gama diesel locomotives and 20 SM42-1000 NEWAG were purchased. In 2020, Olkol renovated 23 electric locomotives to the EU07A standard. Among other things, electric motors were replaced with asynchronous ones. The speed of the locomotives increased from 125 km/h to 160 km/h. In 2021, InterCity had electric locomotives: 1 EP05 (speed 160 km/h), 227 EU07, EP07 (speed 125 km/h), 1 EP05 (speed 160 km/h), 23 EU07A (speed 160 km/h), 9 EP08 (speed 140 km/h), 46 EP09 (speed 160 km/h), 10 EU44 Husarz (speed 230 km/h), 30 EU160 Griffin (speed 160 km/h). 10 E4MSUa NEWAG multi-system locomotives with a maximum speed of 200 km/h were ordered for international trains.

In 2024, PKP InterCity has 557 locomotives, including 412 electric locomotives and 145 diesel locomotives. Most diesel locomotives are used for shunting work, but SU4210 locomotives (10 units) are used in long-distance traffic. Similarly, SU4220 locomotives (2 units) and SU160 locomotives (10 units) are used for long-distance services. In 2021, InterCity has diesel locomotives: 17 SM42 (6D) locomotives, with a speed of 90 km/h, 10 SM42 (18D) locomotives, with a speed of 90 km/h, 17 SM42 (6D) locomotives, with a speed of 90 km/h, 10 SU42-1000 (6DI) locomotives, with a speed of 90 km/h, 10 SU160 Gama (111Db) ​​locomotives, with a speed of 140 km/h. 10 SM42-2000 (6D-FPS) locomotives, with a speed of 90 km/h, have been ordered. The best of these locomotives are the SU160 Gama, which have worthily replaced the HCP SU45 locomotives, and the SU42-1000 locomotives, which are perfect for short passenger trains. Despite this, for the holiday period the company borrows locomotives from PKP Cargo, which transports less goods in the summer.

In 2021, InterCity had EZTs: 20 ED250 Pendolino trains, 7-carriages, with a maximum speed of 250 km/h, 32 ED160 Flirt trains, 8-carriages, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h, 20 ED161 Dart trains, 8-carriages, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h. InterCity also has 4 ED74 Bydgostia trains, 4-carriages, which for various reasons did not enter service permanently. They have already been rebuilt and entered service in 2022. These trains are popularly called “EDYTA”.

In 2010, InterCity had 3,131 cars. By 2015, the company had modernized 218 cars. The renovations were carried out by Polish companies: HCP (FPS – Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych), Pesa Bydgoszcz, Newag Nowy Sącz and ZNTK “Mińsk Mazowiecki”. By 2015, 54 new cars were purchased. In the period 2016–2018, another 176 cars of the following series were renovated: 111A, 141A, 144A, 145A. In 2018, InterCity ordered 81 new cars from Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych (HCP). In April 2018, InterCity ordered the renovation of 70 cars of the 111A, 112A and 140A types. In 2019, a contract was signed for the renovation of another 10 cars of the 145Ab type to the restaurant car standard. In 2024, the company had about 3,100 cars. The most were 2nd Class cars; 1,305 units. In 2021, the company had 1,111 air-conditioned cars. In 2024, PKP InterCity signed an order for multi-functional COMBO cars. As part of periodic repair and modernization, 50 type 112A cars will be transformed into universal cars. The contractor of the contract is H. Cegielski – Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych Sp.

PKP InterCity, the largest Polish rail operator, an undisputed monopolist, recorded a significant increase in net profit in 2023, reaching PLN 90.7 million. This is a significant increase compared to the PLN 52.5 million profit in 2022. PKP InterCity trains continue to enjoy high passenger traffic after over 68 million passengers used the carrier’s services in 2023. The company thus broke the record from 2022, when 59 million people traveled on PKP InterCity trains. The results for the first three months of 2024 show that a new passenger transport record may be set this year. In total, in the first quarter, the company carried 16.5 million passengers, which is an increase of almost 20%. In the same period of 2023, 13.8 million people boarded the carrier’s trains. In March 2024 alone, 5.7 million passengers were transported. Such good transport results allow us to aim for 70 million people transported by PKP InterCity in 2024.

InterCity train 6300 / 3600 “Wyspiański” Wrocław – Przemyśl.

InterCity train 6300 / 3600 “Wyspiański” is a passenger train of the PKP InterCity carrier, which runs on the Wrocław – Przemyśl route. Distance 501 km. Travel time 6 hours 7 minutes. A regular Class 2 ticket costs PLN 80. The train consists of an electric locomotive and wagons; in January 2025, there were 7 wagons. Seats are reserved. The wagons are air-conditioned. There is access to WiFi. Bicycles and conductor’s parcels can be transported. A bar wagon is available.

From Wroclaw the train departs at 06:12. Oława 06:27. Brzeg 06:37. Opole Główne 06:58. Strzelce Opolskie 07:20. Gliwice 07:50. Zabrze 08:01. Katowice 08:17. Mysłowice 08:38. Jaworzno Szczakowa 08:48. Trzebinia 08:59. Krzeszowice 09:09. Krakow Główny 09:27. Krakow Płaszów 09;43. Bochnia 10;01. Brzesko Okocim 10;09. Tarnów 10;24. Dębica 10;42. Ropczyce 10;50. Sędziszów Małopolski 10;57. Rzeszów Główny 11;11. Łańcut 11;25. Przeworsk 11;38. Jarosław 11;49. Radymno 11;59. Przemyśl Zasanie 12;14. Przemyśl Główny 12;19.

The train leaves Przemyśl at 16;06. Przemyśl Zasanie 16;09. Radymno 16;23. Jarosław 16;33. Przeworsk 16;44. Łańcut 16;58. Rzeszów Główny 17;10. Sędziszów Małopolski 17;27. Ropczyce 17;33. Dębica 17;42. Tarnów 18;00. Brzesko Okocim 18;15. Bochnia 18;24. Krakow Płaszów 18;42. Krakow Główny 18;49. Krzeszowice 19;10. Trzebinia 19;22. Jaworzno Szczakowa 19;33. Mysłowice 19;45. Katowice 20;03. Zabrze 20;20. Gliwice 20;28. Strzelce Opolskie 21;07. Opole Główne 21;30. Brzeg 21;54. Oława 22;03. Wroclaw Główny 22;22.

Currently (2025) the InterCity 6300 / 3600 “Wyspiański” train is headed by EP09 series locomotives, but it is already known that these locomotives will be withdrawn from service. The EP09 series electric locomotives currently owned by PKP InterCity were manufactured in the period 1987-1997 and are in use in the amount of 47 units. A total of 50 units were built, but they differ in some elements of electrical equipment. Revision repairs of the locomotives are performed every 370,000 kilometers. InterCity plans to use them until the second major repair, i.e. level P5. After this stage, they will be liquidated or sold to another carrier. In 2024, the carrier conducted negotiations on level P4 repairs. In December 2024, the first locomotive was to go for level P5 repair, which will not be performed. In 2025, 34 locomotives will be withdrawn, and the remaining units by 2028. They will be replaced by locomotives of the EU-160 and EU200 series. In 2025, the carrier will receive 38 locomotives of the EU160 and EU200 series.

Written by Karol Placha Hetman