Record number of pets travel on Polish trains in first half of 2025

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PKP Intercity, Poland’s main long-distance train operator, set a new record in the first half of 2025 with nearly 238,500 pets travelling on its trains, as more passengers choose to get on board with their furry friends.

In 2024, almost 358,500 paw-sengers travelled on PKP Intercity trains, compared with 245,500 in 2023, a nearly 50% rise.

In response to the rising number of pets travelling on its trains, PKP Intercity has introduced special first aid kits for dogs and cats on its premium Pendolino services.

The kits, which are coloured yellow and are part of the Z Napędem Na 4 Łapy (Four Paws Drive) private initiative to enhance animal safety and welfare, contain disinfectants, dressings, tick removers, and Braille instructions for passengers travelling with assistance dogs.

Small pets such as dogs and cats are the most common companions. PKP Intercity allows small animals to travel free of charge if they are safely transported in designated carriers, such as cages, containers or baskets.

Assistance dogs travelling with people with disabilities or reduced mobility also ride free of charge. The fee waiver applies to trained assistance dogs with certification and guide dogs accompanying visually impaired passengers.

Larger dogs require a paid ticket and must be muzzled and leashed, with the handler being an adult. Owners must carry a current rabies vaccination certificate.

Meanwhile, PKP Intercity continues to see record numbers of human passengers, with 40.4 million travellers in the first half of 2025, a 9% increase from the same period last year. In the whole of 2024, the operator carried 78.5 million passengers, up from 68 million in 2023 and 58.9 million in 2022.

To meet growing demand, PKP Intercity has expanded its timetable and currently offers 514 daily connections, which is 80 more than two years ago. It has also added more carriages on some routes and modernised its locomotives and wagons.

This year, the operator also launched the first direct train route from Poland to Croatia, which runs during the summer holiday season. The infrastructure ministry announced this week that most seats on the service are already booked until the end of the summer.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: john crozier/Unsplash

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.