Czech open-access operator RegioJet, which hoped to challenge PKP Intercity on the lucrative Poznań–Warsaw corridor, admitted on 18 December 2025 that it has pushed the service start from mid-December to early February and scrubbed a string of other domestic runs. The disclosure follows a formal investigation opened by Poland’s rail watchdog UTK over alleged ‘collective passenger-rights violations.’
RegioJet blames slower-than-expected recruitment of train managers and last-minute technical-fleet issues. UTK, however, warns that late cancellations can attract fines of up to PLN 2 million and has hinted that track-access slots could be re-allocated to state-owned PKP Intercity. For mobility planners, the immediate impact is a squeeze on peak-period rail capacity between Poland’s two largest business hubs: December seat inventory had already been tightened by ongoing infrastructure works at Warsaw West station.
VisaHQ, a worldwide visa and passport assistance provider, can relieve some of the disruption fallout by accelerating travel-document processing for passengers forced to reroute through other EU hubs or switch to air travel. Its Warsaw office (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offers rapid Schengen and non-Schengen visa solutions, helping corporate travellers maintain duty-of-care compliance even when rail plans unravel.
![RegioJet Postpones Poznań–Warsaw Launch and Cancels Holiday Trains, Triggering Regulator Probe]()
Corporate-travel desks that issued RegioJet tickets have been offered automatic refunds plus a PLN 100 voucher, but travellers must rebook quickly—PKP Intercity reports load factors above 92 % on pre-Christmas departures. International assignees connecting through Poznań’s Ławica Airport should buffer extra time, as the cancellation of feeder trains increases pressure on airport shuttle buses.
Longer-term, the episode raises competitive-access questions just as the EU Fourth Railway Package aims to liberalise domestic passenger markets. Law firms predict that UTK’s enforcement will set a precedent for new entrants such as Leo Express and FlixTrain, potentially affecting the breadth of rail options available to intra-EU commuters and posted workers.
Action points: employers should audit December–January rail bookings and consider pooling staff on group fares with guaranteed seating. HR policies may also need to include a ‘rail service failure’ clause in duty-of-care guidance, now that UTK scrutiny makes last-minute timetable shifts more likely.
RegioJet blames slower-than-expected recruitment of train managers and last-minute technical-fleet issues. UTK, however, warns that late cancellations can attract fines of up to PLN 2 million and has hinted that track-access slots could be re-allocated to state-owned PKP Intercity. For mobility planners, the immediate impact is a squeeze on peak-period rail capacity between Poland’s two largest business hubs: December seat inventory had already been tightened by ongoing infrastructure works at Warsaw West station.
VisaHQ, a worldwide visa and passport assistance provider, can relieve some of the disruption fallout by accelerating travel-document processing for passengers forced to reroute through other EU hubs or switch to air travel. Its Warsaw office (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offers rapid Schengen and non-Schengen visa solutions, helping corporate travellers maintain duty-of-care compliance even when rail plans unravel.
Corporate-travel desks that issued RegioJet tickets have been offered automatic refunds plus a PLN 100 voucher, but travellers must rebook quickly—PKP Intercity reports load factors above 92 % on pre-Christmas departures. International assignees connecting through Poznań’s Ławica Airport should buffer extra time, as the cancellation of feeder trains increases pressure on airport shuttle buses.
Longer-term, the episode raises competitive-access questions just as the EU Fourth Railway Package aims to liberalise domestic passenger markets. Law firms predict that UTK’s enforcement will set a precedent for new entrants such as Leo Express and FlixTrain, potentially affecting the breadth of rail options available to intra-EU commuters and posted workers.
Action points: employers should audit December–January rail bookings and consider pooling staff on group fares with guaranteed seating. HR policies may also need to include a ‘rail service failure’ clause in duty-of-care guidance, now that UTK scrutiny makes last-minute timetable shifts more likely.
