New Regulations for Railway Infrastructure Provision to Boost Competitiveness of Rail Transport

Strategic Insights -

The Polish government has introduced new regulations aimed at increasing the competitiveness of rail transport, adapting national law to European Union directives, and improving the transparency of fees for access to railway infrastructure. The amendments to the rules for providing railway infrastructure, published on October 6, 2025, will come into effect 30 days after their announcement. The key objective is to standardize the system of settling access to railway infrastructure and make it more efficient.

Key Takeaways:

  • The new regulations aim to increase the competitiveness of rail transport, align Polish law with EU directives, and enhance transparency in fee calculation.
  • The amendments introduce a new definition of modification of allocated capacity and an alternative measure of operational work (gross tonne kilometer).
  • The method of calculating the average rate will be modified based on train weight and railway line category.
  • Railway infrastructure managers must publish market analyses of rates and unify reservation fee calculation rules.
  • The updated network regulations will be published on the railway company's website by early December 2025.
  • PLK SA, the Polish railway infrastructure manager, will adjust its network regulations within the specified timeframe.
  • The introduction of basic (dependent on commercial stops at platforms) and additional fee component changes aims to standardize the system of settling access to railway infrastructure.

Statistics:

  • The new regulations will enter into force 30 days after their announcement, expected to be by early December 2025.
  • The amendments aim to adapt national law to the interpretation of the provisions of Directive 2012/34/EU resulting from the Court of Justice of the European Union case law.
  • The regulation introduces significant changes to the reservation fee and an additional fee component.
  • The updated network regulations will be published on the railway company's website according to applicable deadlines.
  • PLK SA, the Polish railway infrastructure manager, will adjust its network regulations within specified timeframe.

Sources:

  • Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure (Journal of Laws, October 6, 2025)
  • Directive 2012/34/EU (European Union)