Winter Rail Adventure Across Poland: Riding RegioJet from Warsaw to Kraków

Poland has rapidly become one of Europe’s most exciting countries for rail travel, with modern high-speed routes, impressive station redevelopments, and growing competition between operators. Today, I travelled aboard RegioJet’s premium intercity service from Warsaw to Kraków, a route that should have represented the future of affordable private rail competition in Central Europe. However, just days after this journey was filmed, RegioJet announced it would cease operations in Poland after only eight months of service.

Beginning in Warsaw

We start in Poland’s capital city, Warsaw - In my opinion, one of Europe’s most underrated city break destinations, particularly during winter when snow blankets the streets and historic architecture. Despite suffering immense destruction during the Second World War, the city has rebuilt itself into a fascinating blend of old and new. The beautifully reconstructed Old Town is especially impressive, with colourful buildings, grand churches, and a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture filling the narrow streets. The city itself stretches along the banks of the Vistula River, Poland’s longest river at 1,047km (651mi) in length. To reach today’s train, I headed east across the city using Warsaw’s extensive tram network.

Warsaw by Tram

Warsaw’s tram system is one of the largest in Europe, with 25 lines covering a network stretching 146km (91mi). The system serves a huge proportion of the city’s 1.8 million residents and provides an efficient way to move around the capital. Although contactless tap-in systems are not yet available, buying tickets is still straightforward. Most trams and stops feature modern ticket machines accepting card payments, and paper tickets simply need validating once onboard. Cash payments, however, are becoming increasingly rare. After a short ride through the snowy streets, we arrived outside Warszawa Wschodnia.

Warsaw East Station

From the tram stop, it’s a short walk across the road to the station entrance. Outside, there are taxi ranks, bus stops, and connections to local transport, while inside the station opens into a large modern concourse with ticket offices, shops, and automatic ticket machines. Facilities here are excellent too. Toilets are available near the left-hand side of the building, while a side annex contains a food court featuring Café Nero, McDonald’s, KFC, a Chinese takeaway, and even a supermarket. Our train today is the 1:37pm RegioJet service to Kraków, train number RJ1388. The route itself is very straightforward. After departing Warsaw East, the train makes two additional stops within the capital before running non-stop down Poland’s fastest railway line towards Kraków. The platforms are reached via a central underground passageway beneath the station. It may not be the most glamorous station design, but everything is functional and easy to navigate. Accessibility can be more challenging though, with limited lift access to platforms, however there are wheelchair lifts on the stairs.

First Glimpse: Our RegioJet Train

Waiting on Platform 3 was our bright yellow RegioJet trainset. RegioJet is already a well-established private operator across the Czech Republic and neighbouring countries, but only entered the Polish market in 2025. Their arrival brought direct competition to Poland’s state-owned PKP Intercity services on the country’s busiest routes. Today’s train consisted of four coaches hauled by a modern Bombardier Traxx electric locomotive. These powerful locomotives produce 6,000kW (8,046hp), can reach speeds of 160km/h (100mph), and are only around a year old at the time of filming. Combined with RegioJet’s striking yellow branding, the train certainly makes a strong first impression. Boarding is unfortunately not level, with several steps between platform and train, although accessible boarding facilities are available in the front coach.

Inside Business Class

This rear coach combines both Relax and Business Class accommodation, with the Business compartments offering just four seats each. As I stepped inside my private compartment for the journey, the immediate impression was one of comfort and modern design. Large reclining leather seats dominate the cabin, while overhead luggage racks provide generous storage space. The seats themselves are exceptionally comfortable, with adjustable headrests, padded armrests, individual power sockets, and large tables with expandable flaps. Passengers can individually control the lighting, air conditioning, and announcement volume within the compartment, helping create a genuinely premium atmosphere. Full window blinds also provide additional privacy during longer journeys. For the price, it felt remarkably luxurious.

Excellent Value for Money

One of RegioJet’s biggest selling points has always been affordability. My Business Class ticket for today’s 297km (185mi) journey cost just 78.85 Polish Złoty, equivalent to around £16 or €18. That is extraordinary value considering the quality of the onboard experience. Complimentary drinks are included in Business and Relax Classes, while passengers can also order food from an onboard menu served directly to seats by dedicated stewards. Although several menu items were unavailable during my journey, the quinoa salad and chocolate cheesecake I eventually ordered were both delicious and excellent value.

Let’s Go To Kraków!

Shortly after departure, we crossed the Vistula River before arriving at Warszawa Centralna, the capital’s main railway station, where most passengers joined the service. A few minutes later, we stopped at Warszawa Zachodnia, or Warsaw West, which has recently undergone a massive 1.9 billion złoty redevelopment transforming one of Poland’s busiest stations into a modern transport hub. Soon afterwards, the train accelerated south onto Poland’s Central Rail Line, known as the CMK. This 224km (139mi) railway is Poland’s premier high-speed route, designed for speeds up to 200km/h (125mph). As snow-covered countryside flashed past outside the window, the ride quality remained smooth and comfortable throughout.

Touring the Rest of the Train

After spending some time relaxing in Business Class, I headed through the train to explore the other accommodation options onboard. Relax Class uses a spacious 2+1 seating layout with a mixture of airline-style seating and bays. The seats are very similar to Business Class, with leather upholstery, generous legroom, complimentary drinks, and steward service still included. Standard Class is split across two coach types. One features six-seat compartments and even includes a dedicated family area complete with children’s play facilities and cartoon entertainment screens. The second Standard coach uses an open-plan layout with seatback entertainment screens, adjustable seats, tray tables, and power sockets. At the front of the train is Low Cost Class, which still provides comfortable seating, power sockets, tray tables, free water, and access to onboard catering. Accessible spaces and toilets are also located here. Honestly, there did not appear to be a bad seat anywhere onboard.

Why RegioJet Failed in Poland

Despite offering excellent value and a genuinely high-quality onboard experience, RegioJet struggled to establish itself in Poland. The company has operated buses across Europe for more than 30 years and launched rail services in 2006, eventually expanding into Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary before entering the Polish market in September 2025. However, passenger numbers on these Polish services remained relatively low, with load factors reportedly around 50% during parts of the operation. RegioJet also accused state operator PKP Intercity of anti-competitive practices, including dramatic fare reductions on competing routes and refusing depot access for maintenance facilities. PKP denied these allegations. Whatever the exact reasons, the result was clear. Just eight months after launching, RegioJet decided to withdraw entirely from the Polish market.

Arriving in Kraków

As darkness fell outside, we approached Kraków Główny, arriving just five minutes behind schedule at 4:37pm. Overall, I came away extremely impressed by this service. The Business Class compartment was comfortable and quiet, the food represented exceptional value, and the onboard staff were friendly throughout the journey. Most importantly, RegioJet succeeded in making premium rail travel accessible at genuinely affordable prices. It is difficult not to feel disappointed that services like this could not survive in Poland. Still, for the brief period they operated, RegioJet demonstrated exactly how good private rail competition in Central Europe can be. At least they are still operating in the Czech Republic!