The plan for 2025? To cover 15 million kilometres on the rails. These kilometres mean more pairs of connections on many routes, as well as shorter journey times—mainly to towns located in the Kłodzko region.
KD on the Wrocław—Zielona Góra route
From 15 December, all pairs of direct regional connections between the capital of Lower Silesia and Zielona Góra will be operated by Koleje Dolnośląskie.
—We are choosing a carrier that offers good quality, modern trains and will get our passengers to their destination on time. We know that Koleje Dolnośląskie guarantee such connections. But that is not the end of the benefits. KD offer not only greater comfort. They are also financially advantageous for us. It is hard to believe, but a train-kilometre on a modern Koleje Dolnośląskie train costs PLN 17, twice as little as we paid previously—says Sebastian Ciemnoczołowski, Lubusz deputy marshal responsible for rail transport.
—We have the best local-government railway carrier, and this is not our subjective assessment; I hear it from local-government officials during meetings throughout Poland—Paweł Gancarz, marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, said about Koleje Dolnośląskie during the recent Lower Silesian Railway Forum.
Wrocław—Zielona Góra trains will run both via Legnica and Lubin, and via Wołów. In addition, one more pair of trains will run from Głogów to the City of Bacchus.
Faster to the fortress, buses to Kudowa-Zdrój for now
PKP PLK has postponed once again the date for reopening the line to Kudowa-Zdrój. We will travel by bus on the Kłodzko Miasto—Kudowa-Zdrój section until 30 January 2025. The repair period has been extended because of the flood that hit the region in September.
The journey from Wrocław Główny to Kłodzko will, however, be much faster.
—The journey time from Wrocław Główny to Kłodzko Miasto will be shortened. The fastest trains will reach the capital of Kłodzko County in 64 minutes—says Damian Stawikowski, president of Koleje Dolnośląskie. Until now, this connection took more than 80 minutes.
Good news for residents of Wrocław and the Kłodzko region also includes the return, after several years, of a direct connection to Prague. Several years ago, this connection was operated in
cooperation with KD by the Czech carrier Leo Express; now Intercity and Ceskie Drahy trains—the national operator on Czech railways—will travel to the Czech capital.
Four trains a day will connect the beautiful Czech capital with Kłodzko and Wrocław, as well as with the Tricity, since their journey will end in Gdynia.
More pairs of connections on many routes
More Koleje Dolnośląskie trains will also reach Greater Poland: the white-and-yellow trains will run to Kostrzyn in four pairs, and one more KD train will also travel to Rawicz.
—Koleje Dolnośląskie have already recorded 100 million kilometres, and in 2025 alone they will cover 15 million. According to forecasts, more than 23 million passengers will use their services in 2024. The white-and-yellow trains are one of Lower Silesia’s best-known brands—says Michał Rado, deputy marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship responsible for rail transport.
New pairs of connections will be available to passengers on routes including Wrocław to Legnica, Zgorzelec, Wałbrzych and Jelenia Góra.
An additional Wrocław Główny—Zgorzelec train will depart at 8:20 and will be coordinated with a train to the German city of Dresden. It will reach the town on the Polish border in 1 hour and 34 minutes.
More pairs of KD trains will reach Krotoszyn in Greater Poland, replacing Koleje Wielkopolskie. Three routes from Wrocław to Milicz will be extended to Krotoszyn, and one additional pair of trains will also run on this line.
—As usual, we ask passengers to check their train’s departure time when travelling to work, university or school, because train operating times will change with the new timetable—says Bartłomiej Rodak, press spokesperson for Koleje Dolnośląskie.
The new timetable will come into effect on Sunday, 15 December 2024.
Koleje Dolnośląskie trains operate on nearly 1,500 km of railway lines, and more than 60,000 passengers travel aboard the white-and-yellow trains every day. Over the past six years, rail connections in Lower Silesia have been restored to towns where nearly 200,000 Lower Silesian residents live.
In 2025, further KD connection debuts await us: a train will run from Jelenia Góra to Mysłakowice and Karpacz.