Europe’s railway sector is entering a decisive decade. As countries invest in high-speed infrastructure, liberalise passenger markets and seek stronger international connectivity, one challenge is becoming increasingly clear: new infrastructure alone will not deliver an integrated European network. Long-term planning across borders is equally essential.
Poland’s Horizontal Timetable (HRJ), developed under the Port Polska investment programme in cooperation with the Polish Ministry[RD1.1] of Infrastructure, PKP PLK (Infrastructure Manager), The Centre for EU Transport Projects and Office of Rail Transport (UTK) [RD2.1], demonstrates how this can be achieved.
Developed for the 2034/2035 timetable, HRJ is far more than a timetable exercise. It is a long-term framework for designing the country’s passenger rail network while aligning domestic ambitions with future European connections. Rather than being driven solely by existing infrastructure, the concept starts with the passenger offer based on projected future demand and seeks to align future investment, market organisation and international cooperation with this vision.
HRJ integrates long-distance, regional and metropolitan services into a coordinated system based on regular interval timetables, reliable interchange and predictable service patterns. It also considers both Public Service Obligation (PSO) and commercial open-access services, aiming to allocate infrastructure capacity in a way that encourages competition without undermining network efficiency.
Consultation at the heart of planning
What distinguishes HRJ is not only the network of services itself but also the way it has been developed.
Rather than relying solely on transport models and demand forecasts, the project combined analytical work with one of Poland’s most comprehensive railway consultation programmes. Between 2024 and 2026, four consultation streams involved passengers, regional transport authorities, railway operators and international partners.
Public consultation generated more than 1,800 comments, around 60 percent of which were reflected in the revised proposal. Regional and metropolitan transport authorities participated in workshops focused on integrating long- distance and regional services and ensuring feeder connections. Based on this part of consultations, train services assumptions for the 16 regions, the Warsaw metropolitan area and the Upper Silesian and Zagłębie Metropolis were prepared. This is the national first study to map out a network of planned regional and metropolitan connections in a coherent manner for the entire country. The operator consultation also attracted considerable international interest. Invitations were sent to 53 organisations, including 51 railway undertakings and two industry associations. Ultimately, 23 organisations took part in the process, representing most operators active in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. Detailed questionnaires were completed by 15 railway undertakings – seven Polish and eight international operators – covering both established companies and prospective new entrants. Their recommendations addressed future market organisation, public service contracts, commercial operations and infrastructure access.
The breadth of participation demonstrates that HRJ is already being viewed as more than a national timetable – it is increasingly seen as a framework for the future organisation of passenger rail services.
International cooperation from the beginning
The international consultation process was one of HRJ’s defining features.
Unlike the structured domestic consultations, cooperation with neighbouring countries was conducted continuously through European planning initiatives, bilateral meetings and dialogue between infrastructure managers and transport ministries. Rather than consulting partners after the timetable had been drafted, Poland sought to develop common long-term planning assumptions alongside neighbouring countries throughout the HRJ process, using existing European cooperation platforms and bilateral dialogue.
A central role was played by EuroLink, RailNetEurope’s non-binding initiative for developing long-term international passenger service concepts, integrating existing national strategic planning frameworks with an approach of European added value. Through the participation of Port Polska and PKP PLK (Infrastructure Manager), Poland contributed to the concept of international train paths for the 2035 horizon. This initiative aligns with the logic of the new European regulation on capacity (CAP).
Polish experts participated in two EuroLink planning regions: Region 8 (Via Vindobona+), covering Poland, Czechia, Austria and Hungary, and Region 9, linking Poland with Germany and the Baltic States. The work involved several organisations, including DB InfraGO, Správa železnic, ŽSR, ÖBB Infra, LTG Infra, Rail Baltica and KTI, illustrating the growing commitment to coordinated international planning.
Designing future cross-border services
The consultations focused not simply on today’s services but on the structure of tomorrow’s international corridors. One key proposal was rerouting
Prague services via Wałbrzych, Mieroszów, Meziměstí and Hradec Králové, creating a faster and more reliable connection while serving larger urban centres and relieving the existing corridor through Międzylesie. Combined with Poland’s future high-speed “Y” line linking Warsaw, Łódź, Wrocław and Poznań, the proposal would significantly strengthen rail connections between Warsaw and Prague.
Another priority concerned the Frankfurt (Oder)-Berlin corridor. Poland requested additional train paths to reflect growing passenger demand, accommodate commercial operators and support future services from both Warsaw and southern Poland. These discussions formed part of both EuroLink and bilateral cooperation linked to Germany’s Deutschlandtakt programme.
Other proposals included stronger and more frequent Warsaw-Vienna services via Brno, new links towards Budapest through Košice, and improved connectivity between Szczecin and Berlin, demonstrating that HRJ seeks to develop an integrated Central European passenger network rather than isolated cross-border routes.
A model for European railway planning
Poland’s first high-speed rail line, linking Warsaw, the country’s new central airport and Łódź, is scheduled to open in 2032. By the 2035 planning horizon adopted for HRJ, the network is expected to extend towards Poznań and Wrocław, forming the characteristic “Y” corridor that underpins many of the project’s future domestic and international services.
At the same time, neighbouring countries are advancing initiatives such as Deutschlandtakt, Czechia’s high-speed rail programme and Rail Baltica. Coordinating these investments requires planning long before infrastructure enters operation.
Rather than adapting Poland’s railway system to future European developments, HRJ seeks to ensure that Poland actively shapes them. By combining evidence-based planning with continuous international cooperation, the project positions the country as a contributor to Europe’s next generation of integrated passenger rail services.
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