New PKP timetable - highlights and changes for 2025/2026 | PolishTrains

At a glance

• New PKP Intercity timetable for 2025/2026 took effect on 14 December 2025
• The new timetable offers 555 connections - 50 more than the previous season
• Additional trains now run between Krakow and Poznan under the updated schedule
• Journey time from Zakopane to Warsaw has been shortened in the new timetable
• New international connections added to Vienna, Berlin and Graz
• Timetable adjustments are made in March, June and September each year

From 14 December 2025, passengers will travel according to PKP Intercity's new timetable for the 2025/2026 season - a deadline well worth bearing in mind.

The changes that have been introduced include both long-distance and regional routes. Passengers can expect new connections, changed departure times and adjusted routes. It is a good idea to save this date in your calendar to avoid surprises when planning your journey.

In the new timetable, travellers will have access to 555 connections - 527 year-round and 28 seasonal. This is 50 more than in the previous 2024/2025 timetable, which had 505 connections (including 34 seasonal connections). The changes clearly show that PKP Intercity is consistently expanding its offer, increasing accessibility and improving travel comfort.

Although the main change to the PKP timetable occurs in mid-December, it is worth remembering that the railways regularly adjust the timetable throughout the year. The next revision dates are usually March, June and September. This is due to the need to adapt routes to ongoing maintenance works, seasonal increases in passenger traffic (e.g. during the holiday season) and to analyse demand for particular connections.

If you travel regularly, e.g. to university or to work, be sure to mark these dates on your calendar so that a change in departure times or directions does not unexpectedly affect your plans. Updating the carrier's timetable is also a great opportunity to get to know more about rail travel in Poland. There may be new, faster connections in your region or interesting international routes which will make travelling abroad easier.

The new PKP timetable for the 2025/26 season brings a number of significant changes. Above all, the number of connections on domestic and international routes is increasing. This particularly applies to the most popular routes between major cities.

The modifications introduced are a response to the growing interest in long-distance travel and the increasing need for fast, direct connections between major cities in Poland and Europe.

All of this means one thing: in the coming season, there really will be something to drive on - both on a daily basis and when taking long-distance trips.

What novelties will we find in the PKP offer? The change to the timetable includes an update of domestic connections.

More trains from Małopolska

There will be 17 pairs of trains a day on the Kraków-Poznań route, twice as many as before.

This means more flexibility in the choice of departure times, and simply more seats during rush hours.

Stronger links to the Tricity

A lot will also change between Malopolska and the Tricity. There will be:

• 1 additional pair of year-round EIC trains,
• 1 additional pair of year-round EIP,
• and 2 seasonal EICs, i.e. Posejdon and Lajkonik.

In total, this will give as many as 10 pairs of daily express trains from Cracow to Gdynia.

Podhale gains fast connections like in Western Europe

The already well-known EIC Tatry train will be joined by very important novelties:

The year-round EIC Kaszub from Zakopane to Gdynia - which will take travellers to Gdańsk in 6 hours 58 minutes.

The new EIP Zakopane-Gdynia, which will ensure a short travel time from Zakopane to Warsaw: only 4 hr 14 min (and in the summer will go as far as Kołobrzeg).

In addition, residents of Cracow will be able to reach Zakopane by EIP train in 1 hr 57 min - faster than by car, even without traffic jams.

Reinforcements and news in Lower Silesia and Mazovia

Wrocław and Warsaw will also get their rail reinforcements:

EIC Viadrina will quickly connect Mazovia with the western part of the country.

IC Danubius will provide an additional connection to Poznań.

IC Gwarek will start running from Wrocław to Kraków, increasing the number of pairs on this route to 19.

Two new pairs of trains from Wrocław will travel to Przemyśl: IC Kossak and IC Matejko.

IC Fredro and IC Konopnicka will extend their routes to Jelenia Góra.

Two new pairs of trains will travel to Leipzig - via the Węgliniec-Horka crossing.

There will also be a new night connection to Berlin - IC Ursa, which will serve the west of the country and continue via Katowice, Cracow and Rzeszów.

Regular, cyclical departures - easier journey planning

A novelty for the whole of Poland will be a clearer system of regular departures, which will make it significantly easier to plan journeys. The most important intervals include:

Tricity - Warsaw: every 1 h.Wrocław - Cracow: every 1 h.Tricity -Cracow: every 2 h.Warsaw - Berlin: every 2 h.Cracow - Vienna: every 4 h.

Changes due to modernisation of railway lines

There will also be some difficulties. Works will be carried out on, among others:

• Katowice Railway Junction,
• Sprowa-Kozłów line,
• Kraków-Sędziszów line,
• Kraków Bieżanów-Podłęże line (from June 2026),
• and on line 108, where the Krosno-Zagórz section will be completely closed.

This means that there may be extended journey times or fewer trains on selected sections.

The new timetable is a real opening to Europe. The extensions being introduced will make it much easier and quicker to reach countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany.

New connections from Cracow - Vienna and Prague within easy reach

From December 2025, IC Prater - a new connection to Vienna- will start.

From June 2026 there will be an IC Olza, which will take passengers to Prague.

Both trains will go via Oświęcim and Ostrava, making the route fast and predictable.

More connections to Germany - Leipzig, Berlin and beyond

IC Via Regia and IC Saxonia will provide direct connections to Leipzig (with carriages switched at Wrocław).

The night train IC Carpatia will enable trips to Vienna, Munich, Prague and Budapest.

IC Ursa - a new night train to Berlin, which will set off from Przemyśl and pick up passengers from Cracow on the way.

This will give Cracow its fourth direct connection to Berlin.

New connection to Austria - all the way to Graz

There will be another novelty on the route to Austria - IC Porta Moravica, which will go all the way to Graz. This opens up completely new possibilities for those planning trips to the Alps or further afield to southern Europe.

If you're wondering how a change to the PKP timetable might affect your plans, it's worth knowing that such updates take place four times a year. This is the result of an elaborate logistical process to take into account everything from train line repairs to the changing needs of passengers.

Importantly, these changes are not made by accident. PKP employees analyse data on the number of passengers, demand for specific destinations and route efficiency. It is thanks to this that we can count on increasingly fine-tuned solutions that meet the needs of both local travellers and those using long-distance routes.

It may seem that regular changes to the timetable are an unnecessary fuss, but they are in fact necessary for the railway to operate efficiently and to meet passengers' expectations. First and foremost, the changes are due to modernisation work - constantly renovated tracks, the construction of new stops or the introduction of modern traffic management systems force the adjustment of routes and departure times.

Another important factor is the analysis of travellers' needs. The data collected by PKP Intercity allows for the identification of the most popular routes and times, so that the carrier can better adapt its offer. Seasonality is also important. In summer, Poles travel en masse to the seaside, while in winter they choose the mountains - the railway is trying to meet these changing demands by introducing seasonal connections. The new timetable will include as many as 34 of them, which means that travelling to winter resorts or seaside resorts will be even easier.

You can find the new PKP timetable at polishtrains.eu, where you can conveniently compare journey times and prices for national and international connections. Importantly, buying a ticket is possible without registering, making the whole process quick and easy. Once you have made your purchase, you will receive your ticket directly to your email address and in the form of an SMS, which eliminates the need to print out documents - just have it on your phone.

The new PKP timetable for the 2025/2026 season promises more comfort, faster connections and a better fit for passengers. Are you ready to discover Poland and Europe with polishtrains.eu? It's time to plan your next trip!

When is the new PKP Intercity 2025/2026 timetable effective?

The new timetable starts on 14 December 2025.

Will there be more trains in the new timetable?

Yes. The carrier announces a record number: 555 connections in the summer season, including 527 year-round and 28 seasonal connections. This is about 50 more connections than in the previous timetable.

Which routes will be served more frequently?

In the new 2025/2026 timetable, trains on the most popular directions will run more frequently: Warsaw - Tricity (connections are to run every hour, all day long), Wrocław - Kraków (hourly frequency will also be introduced). In addition, the number of connections on routes serving smaller and medium-sized cities will be increased.

Have journey times been reduced?

Yes. Thanks to the modernisation of rolling stock and infrastructure, PKP has announced shortened journey times on many routes, e.g. the journey from Warsaw to Wrocław by Pendolino is expected to take 3 hours 29 minutes, Zakopane - Warszawa Zachodnia (EIP) - 4 hours 14 minutes, and Cracow - Zakopane (EIP) - 1 hour 57 minutes.

What new domestic connections will be launched?

The biggest change is the introduction of a direct Pendolino to Zakopane, which will significantly shorten travel time to the Podhale region and provide such a fast connection to the Tatra Mountains for the first time. During the holiday season, some EIP trains will travel even further - as far as Ustka.

Are any ticket promotions planned?

In the 2025/2026 season, travellers will be able to take advantage of existing statutory discounts, including 100% concessions for children under 4 and for uniformed services on duty. It is advisable to plan your journeys in advance and buy your tickets early to take advantage of the lower prices, as well as to keep track of the carrier's current promotions and special offers.

What does the slogan "Poland in 100 minutes" mean?

The slogan "Poland in 100 minutes" refers to increasingly fast connections between key cities, thanks to new routes and the modernisation of railway lines. For example: Gorzów Wielkopolski - Poznań can be covered in 91 minutes, Suwałki - Białystok in 99 minutes, and from Bielsko-Biała to Kraków can be reached in around 80 minutes.