The Central Statistical Office summarized 2025 in terms of transport. And the data shows that the railway is losing the lucrative freight transport market in Poland.
Last year transport measured in thousands of tons decreased by 2.7%. up to 216 million tons. Over the course of two years, this decline is already 7%. Calculated in tonne-kilometers (total tonnes and the number of kilometers traveled), the decrease amounted to 3.4%. y/y and as much as 8.5 percent within two years.
Road transport looks completely different in these statistics. Firstly, it is almost ten times larger than the railway one in terms of tonnes transported, and over seven times larger in tonne-kilometers. And secondly, it is growing rapidly. Last year the tonnage increase was as much as 8.8%. y/y to 2 billion 26 million tons. In tonne-kilometers, the increase was 4 percent to PLN 408 billion.
|
Railway |
-2.7% |
216 million tons |
|
Road |
+8.8% |
2 billion 26 million tons |
|
Air |
+17.5% |
109 thousand tone |
|
Maritime |
+6.3% |
7.1 million tons |
|
Pipeline |
+5.9% |
49 million tons |
Air transport of goods also had high growth dynamics (+17.5% yoy to 109,000 tonnes), sea transport (+6.3% yoy to 7.1 million tonnes) and pipeline transport (+5.9% yoy to 49 million tonnes).
Passenger transport
The opposite is true in passenger transport. Here, rail transport in Poland is becoming more and more triumphant. Passengers usually travel between cities, so the advantage of flexibility in buses is not necessary, and the comfort for people e.g. with motion sickness is incomparably greater in trains.
Rail passenger transport increased last year. by as much as 7.7 percent y/y to 438 million people – the Central Statistical Office reported. That's 63 percent. more than transported by buses. A year earlier, the advantage was only 49 percent.
Moreover, in the case of passenger transport by buses, there was a decline of 1.4%. y/y to 269 million people. If we also take into account the number of kilometers traveled, the drop was as much as 12.3%.
|
Railway |
+7.7% |
438 million people |
|
Bus |
-1.4% |
269 million people |
|
Air |
+9.5% |
19 million people |
|
Maritime |
+3.4% |
no data |
However, air transport was growing rapidly. As many as 19 million passengers used it in 2025, i.e. 9.5%. more year to year. Maritime transport also recorded an increase (+3.4% y/y), but this is marginal compared to other forms of people transport.
