PKP Intercity activates its new autumn timetable on 1 September 2026, bringing two headline changes: a completely new IC service linking Poznań and Olsztyn, and the fastest Warsaw–Kraków journey time ever operated on the upgraded Central Main Line.
New Route: IC Gopło on Poznań–Olsztyn from 4 September
The IC Gopło becomes a new daily intercity service from Thursday 4 September, running Poznań – Bydgoszcz – Toruń – Olsztyn. The train departs Poznań in the morning and returns from Olsztyn in the afternoon, making the connection between western Poland and the Warmia-Masuria lake district direct for the first time without a change in Warsaw or Bydgoszcz.
Until now, travellers between Poznań and Olsztyn required either a change in Warsaw (adding at least two hours) or a change in Bydgoszcz with limited connection options. The IC Gopło cuts journey time to roughly 3 hours 20 minutes city-to-city, making a Poznań–Masuria day trip feasible and opening a new weekend-break corridor for visitors based in Poznań.
Warsaw–Kraków: 30 Minutes Faster from 1 September
Infrastructure upgrades to the Central Main Line over the summer have been certified for higher-speed running, allowing PKP Intercity to cut the EC Sawa and IC Wawel journey times from 1 September. The best Warsaw Centralna–Kraków Główny timing drops to 2 hours 12 minutes, compared with 2 hours 41 minutes under the previous timetable. Multiple departures per day will hit this time, with the first fast service leaving Warsaw at 07:00.
This is a significant improvement for travellers doing Warsaw and Kraków as part of a single itinerary — what was previously a half-day transit becomes a comfortable morning departure that still leaves most of the afternoon free on arrival.
Other Changes
The September timetable also adds a Saturday IC service between Warsaw and Rzeszów, improving weekend connectivity to the Subcarpathian region for travellers heading toward Bieszczady or the UNESCO wooden churches route.
Tickets for the new services are on sale now via PKP Intercity’s website and app. Seats on the new Warsaw–Kraków timings are expected to sell quickly in September, as this corridor runs at high occupancy year-round.
Our Warsaw to Kraków guide covers all transport options, how to book PKP Intercity tickets, and what to do with the time you save. For a full overview of the autumn season, visiting Poland in September has weather, events and practical planning tips.