Polish rail operator launches special “unhurried” weekend trips in 1980s trains

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

Polish state rail operator PKP Intercity is launching a series of journeys along picturesque routes in restored 1980s trains to celebrate its anniversary and allow passengers to “discover new regions of the country at a leisurely pace”.

The weekend-only service, called “Nieśpieszny” (“Unhurried”), will begin operating on 17 April and will offer 40 journeys across all regions of Poland, with routes changing each week, the company said.

The service will use historical locomotives and carriages refurbished with original equipment from the 1980s, while also meeting modern-day travel standards, it added.

Each train will consist of olive-coloured first and second-class carriages dating from the 1980s, and historic electric locomotives that were once common on Poland’s rail network.

Catering will be provided in a traditional dining carriage operated by WARS, which has fed Polish train passengers since 1948. The menu will feature dishes typical of Polish cuisine, including bread with lard and pickled cucumber, żurek (a sour rye soup) and bigos (a cabbage and meat stew).

There will be approximately 200 seats available on each route, with tickets made available from the second half of March on the company’s website, mobile app and at railway stations. Dogs, bicycles and luggage will be permitted on board under the operator’s standard regulations.

The new service is a part of events to mark the 25th anniversary of PKP Intercity, which operates long-distance travel in Poland, and a century since the foundation of the original PKP in 1926.

“This anniversary is an opportunity to remind passengers of the atmosphere of bygone journeys and demonstrate how much the railway in Poland has changed over the years,” said Adam Wawrzyniak, a member of PKP Intercity’s management board.

Rail travel in Poland has grown rapidly in recent years, with passenger numbers reaching record levels as operators expand services and modernise fleets.

In November, PKP Intercity signed what it described as the largest rolling stock contract in Poland’s history to help meet rising demand. The following month, the company launched a tender to purchase trains capable of reaching speeds of up to 320 km/h (199 mph), which would be the fastest ever to run on Polish tracks.

Last month, Poland also received the 2026 Rail Champion Award at the European Railway Awards, which are organised annually by rail operators across the continent to recognise political and technical achievements in developing rail transport.

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: PKP Intercity

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is deputy editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She has written for Clean Energy Wire and The Times, and she hosts her own podcast, The Warsaw Wire, on Poland’s economy and energy sector. She previously worked for Reuters.