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Police identify cause of train derailment in southern Poland

22.01.2026 11:40
The cause of the incident, which occurred on the evening of 20 January 2026, has been attributed by Polish officers to a natural rail fracture caused by low temperatures.
A Polregio train derailed in southern Poland on Tuesday, 20 January 2026. The incident occured shortly after 9 p.m. on the Warsaw-Kraków railway line.
A Polregio train derailed in southern Poland on Tuesday, 20 January 2026. The incident occured shortly after 9 p.m. on the Warsaw-Kraków railway line.Photo: Paweł Pawlica/Polskie Radio

Two carriages of a Polregio train derailed on the Miechów–Słomniki section of the Warsaw–Kraków line in southern Poland at around 9 p.m. last Tuesday.

Hubert Ciepły of the local State Fire Service told the Polish state news agency PAP that “the train left the tracks and tilted over.”

There were approximately 20 passengers on board at the time, and no injuries were reported.

Train services on the line have been suspended temporarily.

Referring to the incident, the Polish police said on social media that a railway commission investigating the scene found no evidence of external interference.

A natural rail fracture caused by low temperatures occurred,” the statement said, adding that PKP had deployed specialist repair equipment to restore the tracks.

Passengers offered replacement transport

Polregio spokesperson Jakub Leduchowski said the operator was providing passengers with replacement bus services to continue their journeys. He added that an official commission was on site to determine the full circumstances of the derailment.

Polregio confirmed on Wednesday that “train services will remain suspended until the damaged infrastructure is repaired. We have activated replacement bus services to transport passengers.”

Polish state railway infrastructure operator PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe announced changes to the train schedule, with passengers being informed of updates at stations, stops, and through the official passenger portal

(mp)

Source: Polish Radio/PAP/X/@POLREGIO_PL/@PolskaPolicja