The bus connection project has been operating in Lower Silesia for several years. Even now, we can reach Lądek-Zdrój, Stronie Śląskie, Syców and Góra by “replacement train” bus. There, however, we travel by bus using a single ticket, along disused or already renovated railway lines.
“Lower Silesia has restored rail connections to towns inhabited by more than 200,000 Lower Silesians. Now we want to expand this project by reaching additional towns. And not only along railway lines awaiting revitalization,” says Paweł Gancarz, Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
The connections are to be operated by buses in Koleje Dolnośląskie livery
“Three rail operators—Koleje Dolnośląskie, Koleje Małopolskie and Łódzkie Koleje Aglomeracyjne—have created three solutions under which passengers can travel around their voivodeships using a bus + train model. In Lower Silesia, the journey takes place on a single railway ticket, but this meant that services could operate only along disused railway lines. Now we want to ‘break through’ this criterion and reach more towns in our voivodeship with buses bearing the Lower Silesian coat of arms,” says Michał Rado, Deputy Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship responsible for transport.
Thus, buses in Koleje Dolnośląskie livery are to reach, among other places, Polkowice, Srebrna Góra, Radków and Bolków.
“We are participating in the work of a team at the Ministry of Infrastructure whose aim is to simplify the fare system for passengers as much as possible—ultimately so that the entire journey can be made with a single ticket. We want to add further bus-operated routes to the KD network,” says Damian Stawikowski, president of Koleje Dolnośląskie. He adds that the company is in the process of obtaining permits to also become a road transport operator.
Which routes could be launched this year? These include:
- Bolków – Jaworzyna Śląska (with connections to trains heading toward Wrocław Główny).
- Polkowice – Lubin (with connections to trains heading toward Legnica and Wrocław Główny).
- Polkowice – Głogów (with connections to trains heading toward Zielona Góra, Wschowa and Leszno).
- Lwówek Śląski – Jelenia Góra (with connections to trains heading toward Wrocław Główny).
- Bolków – Marciszów – Kamienna Góra (with connections in Marciszów to trains heading toward Jelenia Góra and Wrocław Główny).
On many routes, new towns are to be “connected” to the railway network. In that case, the entire journey would be covered by a single railway ticket. Independently of this, work is underway on the Common Lower Silesian Ticket, which will mean that regardless of how many modes of transport we use to travel around our voivodeship, only one ticket will be needed for the entire journey.
“We are beginning cooperation with local governments on compiling timetable data from all organizers of bus services,” says Barbara Kulewicz, vice president of Koleje Dolnośląskie.
Talks with the ministry are intended to ensure that as many bus connections as possible are “connected” to the railway network. This means that, for example, from Polkowice we will be able to purchase a railway ticket to Warszawa Centralna, even though the journey to Lubin will begin aboard a bus rather than a train.
In addition, the railway lines from Oleśnica to Syców and from Kłodzko to Stronie Śląskie are to resume operations within the next two years. PKP PLK is carrying out the work on the section to Syców, while the line between Kłodzko and Stronie Śląskie will be revitalized by the Marshal’s Office.
“The tenders have been announced, and by the end of 2026 the Kłodzko Region is to gain a new railway line, allowing us to reach Stronie Śląskie by Koleje Dolnośląskie train,” says Mateusz Masłowski, director of the Lower Silesian Road and Railway Service, which announced the tender for the section from Ołdrzychowice via Lądek-Zdrój to Stronie Śląskie.
During the previous term, rail connections were restored to towns inhabited by more than 200,000 Lower Silesians. Now, by the end of 2025 alone, the Koleje Dolnośląskie connection network is to be extended to include Polkowice, with a population of 22,000, Lwówek Śląski, with 8,000 residents, and Bolków, with 5,000.