Vision

The Horizontal Timetable is a comprehensive, long-term management concept for timetabling across Poland. The goal is to optimize the advantages of railway line upgrades carried out by the Polish infrastructure manager PLK S.A. and the construction of new high-speed rail lines by CPK. This modern tool is specifically designed to meet the needs of passengers.

The Horizontal Timetable will be developed for the timetables of 2030/31 – 2039/40 with a perspective until 2049/50. Why such a long horizon?

By 2035, the completion of the new high-speed line “Y” connecting Warsaw – CPK – Łódź – Wrocław/Poznań will significantly enhance the effectiveness of the railway network in Poland. By 2030, upgrades to the Central Railway Main Line to support speeds of 250 km/h, the Rail Baltica project, and numerous other projects by the Polish infrastructure manager PLK S.A. under the EU 2021-2027 programming period will also be completed. These investments will enable competitive travel times in comparison with the road transport. In addition, they are expected to increase the capacity of the railway network, facilitating the expansion of passenger rail services. The Horizontal Timetable will support this development in an evolutionary manner, providing passengers with a consistent schedule over the years and ensuring that each new timetable does not disrupt previously implemented solutions.

Additionally, in accordance with the requirements of the Fourth Railway Package, starting from the 2030/2031 timetable, railway passenger services under public service obligations (PSO) will be provided by operators selected through competitive tenders. The tender procedure will allow any interested train operator to participate in a simple, non-discriminatory, and transparent manner. New PSO contracts are likely to be concluded for 10 years, lasting until 2040. Therefore, the Horizontal Timetable, prepared for at least 10 years, will serve as the basis for the tendering process. You can read more about the market opening for competition in a separate section.

The perspective of the year 2050 allows for shaping the Polish railway network, particularly in light of anticipated demographic changes. This long-term horizon is also mandated by EU requirements for preparing cost-benefit analyses (CBAs), which are essential for securing funding for investment projects.

SERVICE AND TIMETABLE ASSUMPTIONS

The Horizontal Timetable will be primarily based on passenger traffic forecasts to determine train routes, frequency, stops, and the type and capacity of rolling stock, in line with the anticipated passenger volumes. At the same time, the Horizontal Timetable will align with the capacity of railway lines. Initially, it will adapt to the existing infrastructure, but in the long term, the timetable assumptions will guide the development of final infrastructure solutions.

The Horizontal Timetable aims not only to meet transport needs by aligning with forecasted travel patterns but also to be convenient for passengers. In practice, public transport competes with individual transport not only in terms of travel time and cost. Therefore, “convenience” should address aspects that, if neglected, could make choosing rail transport unattractive, despite short travel times or low ticket prices. From the timetable’s perspective, these aspects include:

REGULAR CYCLE

Trains running at regular intervals, with “even” minute endings. This makes the timetable easy for passengers to remember and understand, and simplifies operational management for the train operator

CLEAR TRAIN ROUTES

Trains should have clearly specified routes (similar to urban transport) and be designated with an alphanumeric symbol.

CONNECTION SYSTEM AT HUB STATIONS

This will finally enable the railway to operate as an integrated system, ensuring comfortable transfers. Implementing organizational procedures for handling missed connections is also essential. However, it should be noted that with frequent (dense) timetables, the inconvenience of missed connections is mitigated by relatively short waiting times for the next train in the same direction.

STABLE SERVICE ASSUMPTIONS

They should be agreed upon between key stakeholders (primarily between passenger rail transport providers and the railway infrastructure manager). This will allow for the development of a long-term concept, where changes will result from the natural evolution of the network, enabling passengers to develop appropriate transportation habits.

GUARANTEED FREQUENCIES

The desired quality standard in the Horizontal Timetable is for a given train route is:

– For long-distance traffic, the core network should have trains running at least every one or two hours. Lower frequencies, such as every four hours, are acceptable towards the end of the route to directly serve smaller towns and, as an exception, on lines connecting less populated areas.

For regional and suburban traffic, generally every half hour, hour, or two hours throughout the day.

By coordinating individual routes, better frequencies can be collectively offered on certain railway sections, such as having long-distance services run every hour or even every 30 minutes. Ideally, for regional traffic to and from major regional centers, the infrastructure’s capacity should support a frequency of no less than once per hour during peak times to avoid creating undesirable “gaps” (for example, with a frequency of “only” every two hours, trips could be scheduled before 6:00 AM, 8:00 AM, and 10:00 AM or before 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, and 11:00 AM, causing “gaps” at other times).

REGULAR SERVICE INTERVALS

The expected quality standard in the Horizontal Timetable is to ensure that connections are provided regularly throughout the day and week. This is particularly important for regional and urban traffic, where services should be available both early in the morning (for commuting to work or returning from shift work) and late in the evening (for returning from shift work or accessing services and cultural amenities in regional centers). Maintaining regularity is also important outside peak hours (for accessing services in regional centers, such as healthcare). The goal is for passengers to use public transport not only for daily commuting but also for other travel purposes, including non-essential trips. This translates to good service standards for train operations on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays as well.

SERVICE RELIABILITY

It is desirable for the created service network to be resilient to delays and prevent their transfer and accumulation. This requires adequate structuring of train routes and careful timetable design.

TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY STANDARD

The Horizontal Timetable should establish a minimum standard for rail service accessibility. This entails adopting a consistent national principle ensuring that each county is systematically connected with a minimum service frequency provided by the relevant transport provider. The network of connections should align with projected travel patterns based on the settlement network. Rail services in towns should address actual transport needs and do not always need to be long-distance trains. Instead, they can include attractive regional trains to/from the regional capital or the nearest hub, offering convenient transfers to long-distance trains.