Railways in Poland are built around a simple structure: one main national infrastructure manager that runs and schedules the network, multiple passenger operators (long-distance, regional, and city/commuter), and a national regulator responsible for safety and rail-market oversight. This article explains the Polish railway system in a practical way—plus a curated list of official websites you can trust for planning trips and verifying information.
How railways in Poland are organized
In Poland, the organization is usually split into three roles:
- Infrastructure manager (tracks, signalling, traffic control, timetable construction for the network)
- Passenger operators (companies that run trains—long-distance, regional, commuter)
- Regulator / safety authority (oversight, rail safety and regulation)
That separation matters because the best “official” source depends on what you’re checking: a train’s timetable vs. buying tickets vs. reporting a passenger-rights issue.
Infrastructure manager: PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PKP PLK)
PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. (PKP PLK) is presented as the manager of the national railway network, and it explains that it is responsible for timetable construction for passenger, freight, and special trains (based on requests/guidelines from railway undertakings).
PKP PLK also publishes scale indicators on its official “About us” page—for example, it states that in 2024 there were 1,993,425 passenger trains and 398,114 freight trains running their routes on Polish railway tracks.
Why PKP PLK matters for passengers:
If you need the most reliable, network-level timetable data (including station posters and PDF network timetables), PKP PLK’s official passenger tools are often the best starting point.
The rail regulator: Office of Rail Transport (UTK)
Poland’s rail regulator is Urząd Transportu Kolejowego (UTK) (Office of Rail Transport). UTK describes its role as guarding rail safety and regulation of rail transport in Poland (and it publishes statistics, oversight information, and guidance for passengers).
UTK also provides passenger contact channels (including a passenger-rights hotline and email) on its official site.
When UTK is the right “official source”:
- passenger rights information and complaints guidance
- regulatory/market oversight information
- safety reporting channels and official publications
Main passenger train operators in Poland
PKP Intercity (long-distance)
PKP Intercity is the national long-distance passenger operator in the PKP group and runs long-distance services (its official website provides passenger info, tickets, assistance, and updates).
POLREGIO (regional)
POLREGIO S.A. describes itself on its official website as the largest passenger carrier in Poland, operating regional and agglomeration routes across most regions, and it provides official ticketing and travel information.
Warsaw & region (examples of official commuter operators)
If your content focuses on Warsaw, two official commuter/regional brands often used by passengers are:
- SKM Warszawa (city-owned commuter operator)
- Koleje Mazowieckie (KM) (Masovian Railways)
(Poland has multiple other regional operators; for a national journey planner, use official timetable tools that aggregate operators.)
Timetables and journey planning: the two most useful official tools
1) Passenger Portal (Portal Pasażera) — PKP PLK timetable source
Portal Pasażera is a PKP PLK service that explicitly says the timetable is prepared by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. and provides a connection search engine and timetable tools.
It also has a “Network timetable” section that states timetables can be downloaded as PDFs and that updates are published regularly (it mentions weekly publishing on Fridays/Saturdays and emphasizes validity dates).
2) “Rozkład Jazdy PKP” timetable site — run with PKP entities
The rozklad-pkp.pl site includes a footer attributing the service to PKP Informatyka and PKP S.A., and it lists many carriers/providers in its “Provider” filter (including PKP Intercity, Polregio, Koleje Mazowieckie, SKM Warszawa, and others).
Practical takeaway:
For “What train connections exist and when do they run?”, use Portal Pasażera (PKP PLK) and rozklad-pkp.pl (PKP ecosystem). Then buy tickets on the operator’s official website/app (Intercity, Polregio, regional carrier) when possible.
Tickets in Poland: where to buy (official-first approach)
Because Poland has multiple operators, the “best” ticket channel depends on the train:
- Long-distance (PKP Intercity): buy via PKP Intercity official site/app for Intercity trains and passenger support.
- Regional (Polregio / local operators): buy via the operator’s official website/app where available.
- For planning only (not always ticket purchase): use official timetable portals for route discovery and live timetable info.
Tip for your warsaw.red readers: clearly label which links are timetable/planning vs ticket purchase, because many journey planners are not the merchant-of-record for tickets.
Safety and passenger guidance (official perspective)
PKP PLK describes ongoing safety initiatives and emphasizes that modernisation, traffic-control upgrades, training, and safety programs are part of improving rail safety.
UTK publishes passenger guidance and safety/regulatory materials and provides official contact points.
Official websites directory (copy/paste)
Infrastructure manager (tracks + network timetable):
https://www.plk-sa.pl/
Passenger Portal (PKP PLK timetable / journey planning):
https://portalpasazera.pl/en
Long-distance operator (tickets + passenger info):
https://www.intercity.pl/en/
Regional operator (tickets + regional services):
https://polregio.pl/pl/
National timetable service (PKP Informatyka + PKP S.A. attribution):
https://rozklad-pkp.pl/en
Rail regulator (safety + regulation + passenger rights contact):
https://utk.gov.pl/en
Warsaw commuter rail (SKM Warszawa):
https://www.skm.warszawa.pl/en/
Masovian regional rail (Koleje Mazowieckie):
https://www.mazowieckie.com.pl/en
FAQ: Railways in Poland
Who “owns the timetable” in Poland?
PKP PLK states it is responsible for timetable construction for passenger, freight, and special-purpose trains on Polish railway tracks, and it provides timetable data via Passenger Portal.
What’s the best official site to search connections across multiple carriers?
Portal Pasażera (PKP PLK) is explicitly positioned as a timetable/journey tool, and rozklad-pkp.pl lists multiple providers and attributes the service to PKP entities in the footer.
Where do I complain or ask about passenger rights?
UTK provides official passenger contact channels (including passenger-rights hotline/email) on its website.
Conclusion
Railways in Poland are easiest to understand when you separate (1) the network manager (PKP PLK), (2) the train operators (PKP Intercity, Polregio, regional/commuter carriers), and (3) the regulator (UTK). For accurate, non-invented information, use official timetable portals for planning, operator websites for tickets, and UTK for regulation and passenger-rights guidance.