“We Repaired Wagons in the Snow”: RegioJet Pulls Out of Poland Amid 'Predatory Pricing' Claims

RegioJet will withdraw from Poland’s domestic rail market on 3 May, citing unfair conditions, infrastructure barriers, and aggressive pricing practices. The Czech private operator warns that continued operations under current conditions would threaten the stability of the entire group.

RegioJet has announced it will end its operations on Poland’s domestic rail network as of 3 May. The company cited unequal market conditions, infrastructure restrictions, and a targeted negative campaign as the main reasons for its decision.

"We regret to inform you that RegioJet is terminating its operations on the Polish domestic market. We are ready to return once the market is truly open and offers fair and transparent conditions for all operators. The current situation—including infrastructure blockages, sales restrictions, and predatory pricing—threatens the economic stability of the RegioJet group in the Czech Republic," the company stated.

Czech transport company RegioJet has announced it is closing all Poland-only rail services just half a year after entering the market.

The company cited the predatory methods of competitors and unfair treatment as the reason. They said "Region Jet’s domestic operations in Poland… pic.twitter.com/5MkPlBFhGm

— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) April 9, 2026

 

Short Trial Operation and Expansion Ambitions

RegioJet entered the Polish market on 18 September last year, launching one pair of trains on the Kraków–Warsaw route. According to the company, the initial phase was intended as a trial period focused on recruitment and staff training.

"The goal was to learn how to deliver the same level of service to passengers as we provide in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary, where a seven-car train is operated by a seven-member crew. Thanks to our excellent price-to-quality ratio, we have become the second highest-rated rail operator in Europe," RegioJet said.

The operator pointed out that its expansion was supported by strong financial performance in 2025 and sufficient capital and operational capacity for further growth across European markets. It also pointed to Poland’s declared openness to competition and signals from PKP Intercity’s leadership that it welcomed competition.

Some planned services were not implemented, a fact acknowledged by RegioJet. The company admitted that the full rollout of services from mid-December did not take place, partly due to a shortage of staff provided by an external supplier.

Affected passengers were informed in advance, received full ticket refunds, and were offered compensation of EUR 23.5 (PLN 100). The situation was later stabilised, with full timetable implementation achieved from 1 March 2026. However, these issues attracted the attention of Poland’s Office of Rail Transport, which concluded that collective passenger interests had been violated and imposed a fine on the company.

Allegations of Unfair Competition and Market Barriers

RegioJet claims its entry into the Polish market did not reduce the transport capacity of the state operator PKP Intercity. Nevertheless, it alleges it faced a coordinated negative media campaign that became part of a broader political struggle. "We decided not to comment on this situation. We invited representatives of Polish public media to the historic first journey of a competing operator on a domestic long-distance route. They refused to attend, arguing that as state media they could only report positively on the activities of the state operator," the company stated.

RegioJet further claims it encountered practices violating fair competition principles. It pointed to PKP Intercity’s parent company, PKP SA, which owns station buildings, alleging it terminated RegioJet’s marketing campaign at stations and prevented the company from opening ticket sales points. This particularly affected vulnerable passenger groups, including seniors, children, and people with disabilities, who rely heavily on physical sales channels. The company also referenced a dispute involving the publication of private SMS communication between owner Radim Jančura and PKP Intercity CEO Janusz Malinowski.

Blocked Depot and Operational Challenges

Another major issue pointed out by RegioJet is the blocked sale of a depot in Warsaw’s Praga district, which the company won in a PKP Cargo auction on 7 August 2025.

"The depot was supposed to serve as our technical base from December 2025. However, it has still not been transferred to us, and we were even prohibited from renting tracks in the hall. PKP SA, which holds approximately 30% of PKP Cargo shares and has veto rights, is actively blocking the sale and postponing its completion every two months," RegioJet stated.

As a result, the company was forced to carry out wagon repairs outdoors in winter conditions and conduct major maintenance in the Czech Republic.

Price Battle and Market Pressure

According to RegioJet, operational challenges were compounded by economic pressure from PKP Intercity, which reduced ticket prices by up to 70% compared to levels before RegioJet entered the market.

"Competition law considers such pricing illegal, as predatory behaviour aimed at eliminating a new market entrant. A new entrant may temporarily offer below-cost prices to promote itself and establish a position. A dominant entity does not have this right—on the contrary, it is explicitly prohibited," the company stated.

RegioJet noted that it entered the market with prices approximately half of the existing EIP and EIC ticket levels and has maintained this level.

"I sincerely apologise to all passengers. I cannot continue to endanger the future of a company I founded at the age of 23. I believe that under more favourable conditions, we will be able to resume our services in Poland," said RegioJet owner Radim Jančura.

Source: Regiojet.pl