Koleje Dolnośląskie recorded the highest number of passengers on the Wrocław–Legnica route. In 2023, more than 795,000 passengers used it.
– The regional capital generates the greatest traffic both during the week and at weekends. Passengers know that the most convenient and fastest way to reach the capital of the voivodeship is by train. Most of the 19 million people who used Koleje Dolnośląskie services last year travelled to or from the capital of Lower Silesia – says Damian Stawikowski, president of Koleje Dolnośląskie.
Heavy traffic in the metropolitan area
Which route took the next place on the popularity podium? Not the one to Wałbrzych, the region’s second-largest town. Wałbrzych is third in the ranking, overtaken by the small town of Kąty Wrocławskie, inhabited by only 7,000 people.
– More than half a million passengers travelling between Wrocław and Kąty Wrocławskie shows the power of rail – says Wojciech Zdanowski, vice-president of Koleje Dolnośląskie. – Residents of the Wrocław metropolitan area are eager to use our services on lines where we offer more than 20 or 30 connections per day – Zdanowski adds.
Good cooperation with local governments
Additional services in many places across Lower Silesia are the result of cooperation among local-government officials. Both
trains to Kąty Wrocławskie (second place in the popularity ranking), as well as those to Trzebnica (fourth place) and Jelcz-Laskowice (fifth place), are co-financed by municipal authorities.
– The participation of local-government bodies at all levels means that the offer on these routes is getting better and better – says Tymoteusz Myrda, deputy marshal responsible for railways. – Around 40 municipalities and counties co-finance projects related to operating rail connections, and thanks to our joint efforts we have the best railway system in Poland according to passengers themselves – Myrda adds.
The Wrocław–Jelcz-Laskowice route ranked fourth among the most frequently chosen routes, with 525,000 passengers using it. The fifth place in the ranking went to the Trzebnica–Wrocław route, which was used by 405,000 people.
The tracks lead to Wrocław
The five most popular connections last year led to the capital of Lower Silesia, which is not surprising, since Wrocław is the region’s railway gateway to Poland, as demonstrated by its network of connections with other cities across the country.
– Wrocław is excellently connected with the other towns and cities of Lower Silesia, and that is what the region’s residents expect from us. People from Lower Silesia work, learn, study, shop and sightsee in Wrocław. Looking at the figures for 2023, one can conclude that rail is becoming a natural means of transport for an increasing number of Lower Silesia residents. And this should not come as a surprise: after all, we have the best regional carrier in the country – says Cezary Przybylski, marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
TOP 5 KOLEJE DOLNOŚLĄSKIE ROUTES IN 2023:
- Legnica–Wrocław: 795,455 passengers
- Kąty Wrocławskie–Wrocław: 547,829 passengers
- Wałbrzych–Wrocław: 537,987 passengers
- Jelcz-Laskowice–Wrocław: 525,456 passengers
- Trzebnica–Wrocław: 405,579 passengers