Polish holidaymakers heading home for the All-Saints’ long weekend faced major disruptions on 31 October as locomotive failures and storm-felled trees crippled key PKP Intercity services. The overnight ‘Przemyślanin’ train from Świnoujście to Przemyśl racked up a 280-minute delay after its engine broke down in Wrocław, forcing power shut-offs on one track during replacement. Concurrently, severe weather near Koszalin halted the ‘Rozewie’ service for two hours when a tree brought down traction lines.
Crowded platforms at Kraków Główny saw loudspeaker announcements offering free sandwiches and bottled water—an emergency measure rarely invoked outside winter. PKP IC’s press office said multiple factors converged: equipment failure, adverse weather linked to Storm Lothar and unprecedented passenger volumes. The state operator has activated contingency staffing and requested priority track access from infrastructure manager PKP PLK to clear backlogs.
The incident underscores lingering resilience gaps in Poland’s long-distance rail network, which corporates increasingly rely on as a lower-carbon alternative to short-haul flights. Travel-management companies should monitor rolling stock assignments; trains using older SU160 and EU07 locomotives appear most susceptible to breakdowns under heavy load.
PKP Intercity expects residual delays into the evening of 31 October. Passengers on Flex and Premium fares can apply for statutory EU compensation; however, those on non-flexible Promo tickets may only receive goodwill vouchers. Mobility teams should proactively re-route essential staff or consider remote-working options for 2 November return journeys.
Crowded platforms at Kraków Główny saw loudspeaker announcements offering free sandwiches and bottled water—an emergency measure rarely invoked outside winter. PKP IC’s press office said multiple factors converged: equipment failure, adverse weather linked to Storm Lothar and unprecedented passenger volumes. The state operator has activated contingency staffing and requested priority track access from infrastructure manager PKP PLK to clear backlogs.
The incident underscores lingering resilience gaps in Poland’s long-distance rail network, which corporates increasingly rely on as a lower-carbon alternative to short-haul flights. Travel-management companies should monitor rolling stock assignments; trains using older SU160 and EU07 locomotives appear most susceptible to breakdowns under heavy load.
PKP Intercity expects residual delays into the evening of 31 October. Passengers on Flex and Premium fares can apply for statutory EU compensation; however, those on non-flexible Promo tickets may only receive goodwill vouchers. Mobility teams should proactively re-route essential staff or consider remote-working options for 2 November return journeys.
