Freight or Scrap? PKP Cargo Under Fire for Destroying Functional Wagons as Sejm Investigates

Over 10,000 wagons are heading for the scrapyard — and Poland’s Sejm wants answers. As PKP Cargo begins dismantling coal, intermodal, and even military-use wagons, critics warn of anti-competitive behaviour, waste of public assets, and a potential market sabotage scandal.

Polish rail freight operator PKP Cargo is facing sharp criticism from parliamentarians and rail advocacy groups following revelations that thousands of wagons, including relatively new and unused units, are being sold for scrap. The controversy centres on suspicions of market sabotage and asset destruction, prompting the Sejm’s subcommittee on rail transport to hold emergency discussions.

Operating under court-supervised restructuring since 2023, PKP Cargo has begun selling off what it calls "surplus rolling stock" due to declining freight volumes. But critics say the wagons—many built between 2005 and 2008—are far from obsolete and could still serve Poland’s rail network or other operators.

PKP Cargo Selling Wagons for Scrap Only

According to Jakub Majewski, president of the rail advocacy foundation ProKolej, even modern wagons are being sold strictly as scrap, with buyers forbidden from reusing them. "The wagons are classified as waste in the tender process, and must be physically destroyed—cut into pieces," Majewski told MPs. "This not only undervalues the asset but also removes the possibility of reuse, raising concerns of anti-competitive behaviour."

The Sejm hearing, originally focused on layoffs at PKP Cargo, shifted sharply in tone after Majewski revealed these details. His remarks were supported by documentation showing that entire intermodal platforms—never used—were among the wagons being scrapped.

Parliament Questions PKP Cargo’s Intentions

Majewski argued that such actions could be seen as intended to block competition. "In Western Europe, such behaviour would likely attract the attention of the European Commission," he said. "There have been cases where operators intentionally destroyed rolling stock to limit access for competitors." He pointed out that of the 10,360 wagons up for sale, more than half are 430W coal wagons built between 2005 and 2008 in Gniewczyna—a relatively modern fleet by industry standards.

In her official response, PKP Cargo chairwoman Agnieszka Wasilewska-Semail admitted that some intermodal wagons were never deployed, citing a 2022 decision by the Polish government not to reimburse PKP Cargo for coal transport costs as the reason. Still, she denied any breach of competition law: "Each wagon is recorded in our database and assessed annually. If it could be used, it would be."

Majewski also raised concerns about the inclusion of tank transport platforms and transformer carriers on the scrap list. "In today’s geopolitical climate, scrapping tank wagons is extremely worrying," he said, also noting the potential need for self-discharging wagons for Poland’s upcoming construction boom. Some wagons, he said, were still in use four to five years ago and are now simply awaiting major overhauls. He also noted that PKP Cargo was recently unable to bid for a major iron ore contract due to a shortage of EAS wagons—many of which are now slated for destruction.

MPs Call for Transparency and Legal Review

Opposition MP Łukasz Kmita (Law and Justice) described the revelations as "shocking," noting that wagons just 20 years old are still viable assets. "We were told these were old coal wagons, but the list clearly includes a much wider range. The matter should be referred to the prosecutor’s office as a potential case of public asset damage," he said.

PKP Cargo has promised to deliver full specifications of the wagons to the parliamentary subcommittee for review. Majewski added that a preliminary analysis already shows the scrapped fleet is more diverse than PKP Cargo publicly claimed. "Just because a wagon is no longer useful for PKP Cargo doesn’t mean it’s useless for the rest of the Polish rail system."

Majewski noted that similar wagon liquidations occurred in 2015 and 2023, when Przewozy Regionalne and PKP Cargo scrapped usable wagons despite market shortages. "This philosophy only led to revenue loss—competitors imported rolling stock from abroad, and now we see foreign locomotives like old Škodas and Ludmiłas running instead of Polish-built units."

Scrap Sale Divided by Region

PKP Cargo recently opened bidding for the scrap sale, dividing it into seven regions: Warsaw, Wrocław, Lublin, Szczecin, Toruń, Tarnowskie Góry, and Zabrze. The winning bid will be based on price per tonne. The full list of wagons is only available to qualified bidders, though it is widely assumed that coal wagons make up the majority. PKP Cargo has stated that all wagons in the auction are non-functional and would require P4 or P5 overhauls before any potential reuse.

The debate took a political turn after MP Marek Grobarczyk, former Secretary of State for Transport and Infrastructure, accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government of deliberately weakening PKP Cargo. In a post on platform X, he wrote: "This terrifying Tusk government is carrying out a Berlin-scripted plan to destroy PKP Cargo’s role in Poland’s rail freight market."

Ten przerażający rząd Tuska jest wyrazem działań, które nie pozwolą w przyszłości na powrót PKP Cargo do roli lidera na rynku przewozów kolejowych. Zamierzony perfidny cel wyznaczony w Berlinie jest skrupulatnie realizowany przez Tuska.//t.co/HmSLRgvjb4

— Marek Gróbarczyk (@marekgrobarczyk) June 25, 2025

Sources: social networks, Sejm, ProKolej Foundation, rynek-kolejowy.pl