Poland’s railways are bracing for another heatwave after scorching temperatures exposed deep weaknesses in the network. PKP Intercity says it is better prepared, but officials admit the system was caught off guard.
In June, with air temperatures around 40°C, plastic elements in an electric box of one PKP Intercity carriage melted; inside electrical and machine compartments the temperature exceeded 70°C. On some lines, overhead wires stretched and touched each other, causing short circuits.
Air conditioning is present in 77% of traction units and 75% of carriages, but Polish standards assume a maximum of 35°C. Poland’s second climate zone covers -20°C to +35°C. Regulations only require cooling by 6-8°C relative to outside, so at 35°C the interior can reach 27-29°C. PKP Intercity calls that comfortable, although 23-26°C is the usual summer comfort range, and offices are kept at 21-23°C. Above 35°C, AC need not operate at full power because those are considered extreme conditions. Solar radiation is another issue: design uses 700 W/m2, while the University of Warsaw’s observatory recorded 1,200 W/m2 at the end of June.
– Perhaps it is time to think about changing the applicable standards, because the climate is warming – said Adam Wawrzyniak, a member of PKP Intercity’s management board, during Friday’s Infrastructure Commission session.
Refunds, water and backup locomotives
PKP Intercity is allowing fee-free refunds for domestic and international tickets bought no later than 29 July 2026, valid for travel between 30 July and 9 August 2026. It sent 2.1 million emails about this. The number of users is unknown, as is the impact of heat on demand. All trains carry water, though not always chilled, said CEO Janusz Malinowski. In emergencies, tickets will be honoured by Polregio, Koleje Mazowieckie and Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna. A list of cancellations covers mainly diesel trains, which overheat above 35°C. In the previous heatwave, 21 services were cancelled.
– We currently have a record number of 1,671 carriages, which allows us to replace faulty vehicles. On 30 July we recorded 30 air-conditioning failures, about 2% of the carriage fleet. Faults are removed at night. Air conditioning can only work when power is supplied – said Janusz Malinowski.
Reserve locomotives have been placed at 16 points. PKP PLK has 25 shield locomotives ready for all carriers. There are also 66 catenary inspection trains, 182 emergency teams and water supplies in 142 places. Extra overhead wire inspections and geometry measurements were done before the heatwave.
At ten main stations, including Bydgoszcz Główna, Gdańsk Główny, Gdynia Główna, Katowice, Kraków Główny, Poznań Główny, Warszawa Centralna, Warszawa Wschodnia, Warszawa Zachodnia and Wrocław Główny, passengers get help from InfoDworce staff. PKP SA finished checking ventilation and air-conditioning systems at all stations, and security personnel received instructions to watch over elderly people and children. A nationwide Railway Station Safety Center works around the clock.
Catenary failures and the Zakopane lesson
Line 9 between Warsaw and Gdańsk was hit hardest. Overhead wires sagged enough to touch live conductors, causing short circuits. A 30-minute halt there generates 2,500 minutes of delays nationwide. About 1,000 more trains run daily than three years ago, so any blockage creates a cascade.
One ad hoc fix is a 'bocian’ (’stork’) mounted on traction poles to raise the earthing wire and stop it sagging. Poland will not imitate Italy by painting rails white to cool them. Instead, the ministry will tighten oversight of contractors.
– Let’s not beat around the bush: we were largely unprepared. We must draw conclusions from these events and look at the infrastructure that requires systemic action, also in terms of design – said Deputy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Malepszak.
He cited the Zakopane line from two years ago: rails were fixed to sleepers at 5-10°C, no stress relief was done, and when they reached 60°C the track buckled. Drivers usually spot buckling and a 20 km/h limit is introduced automatically.
– On the Zakopianka, rails were fastened to sleepers at a temperature of 5-10 degrees, and the track stress relief process was not carried out. That is why, when the rails heated up to 60 degrees, track buckling occurred, and this should not have happened – said Piotr Malepszak.
– Contracts are awarded in open tenders, and contractors often look for savings. We therefore need to strengthen supervision over key technological processes – added the deputy minister.
Emergency procedures also failed during a weekend catenary failure: communication was poor, not everyone could be reached, and information flowed too slowly. Malepszak said these mechanisms must improve because violent weather will become more frequent. In the future, the 35°C barrier may be removed and new rolling stock ordered with different specifications.
Source: WNP.PL, Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
