Rail passengers across Poland should prepare for possible delays and service changes on Friday, September 11, as the Trade Union of Railway Drivers in Poland stages a 24-hour protest. The action will not stop trains altogether, but drivers have been urged to pass railway-road crossings at no more than 20 km/h. On longer routes, repeated speed reductions could cause delays to build up during the day.
PKP Intercity has announced measures intended to limit disruption. Passenger rail operators will mutually accept tickets during the protest, with Express InterCity Premium services excluded. Travellers who decide not to make their journey will also be able to obtain a full refund under special rules, while replacement buses may be introduced on sections where rail travel becomes impossible.
Why train drivers are protesting
The protest follows a series of serious accidents at level crossings and renewed calls from railway unions for stronger safety measures. The immediate backdrop is the September 9 collision in Sokolniki Suche in the Mazowieckie region, where a PKP Intercity train travelling from Lublin to Szczecin collided with a truck. Part of the train derailed. One passenger died and several people, including the train driver and the truck driver, were seriously injured.
The union says the action is intended to draw attention to what it sees as a deteriorating safety situation at railway-road crossings. Drivers of both passenger and freight trains have been asked to use a ‘safe speed’ not exceeding 20 km/h at every such crossing, regardless of the type of protection installed.
Tickets from other operators will be accepted
One of the main contingency measures is mutual ticket acceptance between passenger rail operators. In practice, passengers affected by disruption may be able to continue their journey using a service operated by another company. The arrangement will not cover Express InterCity Premium trains, including Pendolino services.
This could be particularly important on routes where PKP Intercity and regional operators run in parallel, giving passengers more flexibility if one service becomes heavily delayed.
Replacement buses may be introduced
PKP Intercity says that where the protest makes it impossible to provide rail transport on a particular section, replacement buses may be introduced depending on operational needs. The company has not announced a fixed list of routes in advance, meaning decisions will be taken in response to conditions on the network.
Passengers travelling on September 11 should therefore check the status of their service shortly before departure and, in the case of journeys involving transfers, monitor connecting trains as well.
Full refunds for passengers who cancel their journey
Passengers holding tickets purchased by September 11, 2026 and valid for travel that day will be able to return them without the usual deduction if they decide not to travel. This means they can recover the full ticket price rather than receiving a reduced refund.
Additional staff at major stations
PKP Intercity also plans to deploy additional mobile information staff at major railway stations, including Gdańsk Główny, Gdynia Główna, Szczecin, Katowice, Kraków Główny, Zakopane, Poznań Główny, Wrocław Główny, Warszawa Centralna, Warszawa Zachodnia and Warszawa Wschodnia.
The protest is scheduled to run from 00:00 until 23:59 on Friday. At this stage there is no indication of a nationwide suspension of rail services, but delays may vary significantly by route depending on the number of level crossings and the scale of participation in the action.
