What is train travel like for people with disabilities? | PolishTrains

At a glance

• PKP Intercity trains have dedicated, clearly marked seats and spaces for wheelchair users
• Designated accessible seats are released into general sale 24 hours before departure
• Wheelchair spaces with adjacent carer seats are on sale at all times and cannot be used by other passengers
• Discounts for passengers with disabilities on domestic journeys range from 37% to 93%
• A carer accompanying a passenger with a significant disability is entitled to a 95% fare reduction
• Station assistance for boarding and alighting can be requested by phone or via the PKP Intercity online form

Trains have seats for people with disabilities appropriately marked on the timetable . Depending on the type of carriage, these spaces vary. For people with disabilities who do not use a wheelchair, there is usually one compartment in a second class carriage and in some first class carriages in each train, and no fewer than 6 seats in the case of a second class compartmentless carriage and in trains set up with electric multiple units.

These seats are located near the entrance doors of the carriages. They are made available a maximum of 24 hours before the departure of the train. After this time, they go into the general sales pool and can also be purchased by other travellers.

In the case of specially marked seated carriages on the train, a seat or seats are also designated for wheelchair users and their carer. These seats are on sale at all times in accordance with the ticket pool and may not be occupied by persons without reduced mobility. On appropriately marked trains with berths or sleeping accommodation in 2-seater compartments, there are seats designated for disabled persons in wheelchairs travelling alone or with a carer. These seats can be reserved no later than 24 hours before the planned date of travel. They then go into the general sales pool and are available for purchase by anyone.

In the case of a carriage with reclining seats, a person travelling accompanied by an assistance dog is required to purchase all seats in the compartment.

There are different concessions available on the PKP for the disabled. It all depends on the type of disability. Tickets are then cheaper because they are subsidised by the state. Before you buy your ticket, check carefully in the table which specific concessions you are entitled to.

Persons with a significant degree of disability or an equivalent certificate issued by the Social Insurance Office or the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund are entitled to:

• 37% discount for travel in second class carriages on fast, express, IC and EC trains;
• 49% discount for travel in the second class in passenger trains;
• the person's carer is entitled to a 95% discount for travel on all trains. The guardian must be an adult, and in the case of a blind person, the person must be at least 13 years old.

Blind persons with a severe disability certificate are entitled to:

• 51% discount for travel in second class carriages on fast, express, IC and EC trains;
• 93% discount for travel in second class on board passenger trains;
• the person's carer is entitled to a 95% discount for travel on all trains. The carer must be at least 13 years old.

Blind persons with a certificate of moderate disability are entitled to:

• 37% discount for travel in second class carriages on fast, express, IC and EC trains;
• 37% discount for travel in the second class in passenger trains;
• the person's carer is entitled to a 95% discount for travel on all trains. The guardian must be a person over 13 years of age.

For children and young people with disabilities who attend school, but no longer than up to the age of 24 (up to the age of 26 in the case of students), their parents and guardians can benefit:

• 78% discount for travel on passenger and express trains, EC express trains, IC PKP trains (2nd class only) on the route from the place of residence or place of stay to: school, kindergarten, rehabilitation centre, social welfare home, health care facility, psychological and pedagogical counselling centre, care facility, support centre, and back, on the basis of a school pass.

Travellers may be surprised by the presence of non-trolley seats for MSPs. What does this mean? These are seats intended for privileged people who have a disability certificate but do not use a wheelchair. These may include, for example, people who are blind or have other disabilities. These seats are located closest to the entrance of the carriage and are therefore convenient to occupy.

Apart from their location, they are usually completely standard seats, which pregnant women or, for example, convalescents returning from hospital treatment are also entitled to occupy. If they are not sold less than 24 hours before the date of travel, they go into the general ticket pool and can be purchased by any traveller.

Train tickets can now be bought conveniently without leaving home, which is important especially for people with disabilities. PolishTrains is such a portal. Here, you can not only choose the train connection you are interested in, but also select a concession and purchase your ticket by credit card, by bank transfer or by bank transfer.

Notification of a disabled person to the PKP is possible, but not required. Such a person may report the need for assistance to the station staff. He or she will then receive assistance to get on and off the train or to change to a connecting train. This is subject to the presence of staff at the station.

If you require such assistance, you must notify them in advance or at least 48 hours before the date of your journey. You can do this 24 hours a day on the hotline numbers: 19 757 or +48 22 3919757 or via the application form on the PKP website. Another option is to use the Customer Service Centre during its opening hours. These are located at the largest railway stations in the country:

• Gdańsk Główny Railway Station (2 Podwale Grodzkie Street, 80-895 Gdańsk)

• Katowice Railway Station (Pl. Marii i Lecha Kaczyńskich 2, 40-098 Katowice),

• Cracow Central Railway Station (ul. Pawia 5A, 31-154 Cracow),

• Warsaw Central Railway Station (Al. Jerozolimskie 54, 00-024 Warsaw)

• Warsaw West Station - West Station Building (Al. Jerozolimskie 142A, 02-305 Warsaw),

• Wrocław Główny Railway Station (105 Piłsudskiego Street, 50-085 Wrocław).

The application must contain some necessary information, such as:

• date and time of travel;

• contact telephone number;

• departure, arrival or transfer station, stating at which station assistance is needed;

• type of disability;

• time and place of the meeting with station staff;

• optionally, the carriage and seat number of the train;

• presence of an accompanying person or assistance dog;

• type of luggage and other necessary information.

The traveller can count on assistance in boarding the train by setting up a ramp, assistance in taking a suitable seat, inserting luggage weighing up to 20 kilograms, etc.

Importantly, a ticket for a PKP train can be purchased directly from the conductor. In the case of a disabled person, this will not incur an additional charge. However, it requires that you show the conductor a document confirming your disability. People whose disability is visible at first glance are exempt from this obligation. There are exceptions to this rule and these apply to Express InterCity Premium marked EIP. In this case, the possibility to buy a ticket from the conductor without extra charge only applies to wheelchair users. However, the intention to travel for a wheelchair user must be notified to the conductor before boarding the EIP train. Their sale is only possible if these seats are available.