Czech operator Gepard Express plans to enter the Polish railway market, potentially intensifying competition for PKP Intercity. Planned routes include connections from Prague to Vilnius, Kiev, Kharkiv, Terespol, as well as from Split to Vilnius and Berlin.
Czech railway carriers, including Gepard Express, intend to enter the Polish market, which could intensify competition for PKP Intercity. As reported by “Rzeczpospolita,” Gepard Express, following Leo Express and RegioJet, is another foreign company looking to provide services on Polish tracks. Such competition could lead to lower ticket prices and improved passenger service quality.
Gepard Express plans to launch five connections: from Prague to Vilnius, Prague via Kiev to Kharkiv, Prague to Terespol, and from Split (Croatia) to Vilnius and Berlin, scheduled to commence in December 2025. The Office of Rail Transport (UTK) confirmed receiving four applications from Gepard Express, but they are in the preliminary stage of formal analysis. UTK did not disclose whether Gepard Express intends to sell tickets for domestic connections within Poland.
UTK spokesperson Tomasz Frankowski indicated that the applications are still undergoing early evaluation, suggesting that final decisions on Gepard Express’s operations on Polish tracks are yet to be made.