RegioJet launched the first Open Access fully commercial passenger rail service between the European Union and Ukraine, on Tuesday evening. The service will run daily in both directions, establishing a direct connection between the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine.

Yesterday evening, ALLRAIL member operator RegioJet launched the first ever Open Access 100% commercial passenger rail service between the EU and Ukraine. That means: it operates without subsidy. And it will operate daily – in both directions.

On 3 March 2024, after 531 (!) days of proceedings, the Polish rail regulator UTK only approved a minor portion of independent operator RegioJet’s application to operate commercial passenger services on the Kraków–Gdynia route, and confined mostly to off-peak hours.

UTK's decision to approve state incumbent's application while imposing severe limitations on that of the independent operator showcases a troubling instance of double standards and protectionism.

As one of the 12 recognized rail associations representing the rail industry at a European level, the non-governmental organisation ALLRAIL, the ‘Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants in Europe,’ has been advocating for European Union (EU) regulation that will enable faster market opening in Europe since 2017. ALLRAIL Secretary General Nick Brooks discusses the core challenges to reaching their objective with RailTech.

In the final days of the previous Polish government – before Donald Tusk took over - the outgoing Infrastructure Minister signed an annex to the long-distance passenger rail Public Service Obligation (PSO) contract, ensuring that state-owned rail incumbent PKP Intercity received an increased subsidy of 1,5 billion euros until 2030. Increasing funds for public transport should, in theory, lead to more and better quality of services, but we notice that the sudden increase in subsidy for PKP Intercity will not translate into any new benefits for the passenger.