The train drivers' union shortens the protest after a meeting with the Minister of Infrastructure

Initially, the Trade Union of Railway Drivers in Poland (ZZM) announced that the protest would last 24 hours a day on Friday. However, on Thursday, there was a meeting between the Minister of Infrastructure, Dariusz Klimczak, and representatives of the train drivers' union. As ZZM president Leszek Miętek reported at a later press briefing, the talks were "constructive".

I have the minister's declaration that - using his ministerial powers - he will urgently launch teams that will identify and develop methods of neutralizing threats to railway traffic safety - he said.

In the evening, ZZM announced that the protest would last shorter - until Friday noon. "The National Council of the Trade Union of Railway Drivers in Poland, meeting today in the afternoon (September 10, 2026) at an extraordinary meeting, decided to adopt a resolution to shorten tomorrow's action to protect the life and health of railway employees and travelers," the release read.

As it was added, the ZZM national council considered the announcements of the Minister of Infrastructure "as the first step towards solving systemic problems that the Association has been paying attention to for years." Klimczak announced that work on legislative changes and technical solutions to improve safety at road and rail crossings will begin immediately.

"As a gesture of good will and out of concern for travelers, the ZZM National Council appeals to train drivers throughout Poland to drive trains through all rail and road crossings, regardless of their category, on September 11, at a safe speed, i.e. up to 20 km/h," the ZZM press release emphasized.

Trade unionists emphasize that they expect specific decisions and real actions that will be the result of today's declaration of the head of the Ministry of Infrastructure.

The protest action is a consequence of Wednesday's accident at a railway crossing in Sokolniki Suche - a collision of a train with a truck, as a result of which one person died and seven were injured.

PKP PLK threatens protesters

In response to Friday's protest by train drivers, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe said that it would consider taking legal consequences against the entities and people responsible for the protest action if the operation of the railways was destabilized.

"In connection with the information published by one of the trade unions of railway drivers, calling on train drivers to cross rail and road crossings, regardless of their category, at a speed of up to 20 km/h on September 11, 2026, on September 11, 2026, both in local and local traffic. and long-distance," it was said in a statement on Thursday, published even before the information about the shortening of the protest action was announced.

According to the company, such actions may result in significant disorganization of timetable implementation and make rail travel more difficult for hundreds of thousands of passengers.

"As the national manager of railway infrastructure, we are analyzing the situation and will consider drawing appropriate legal consequences against entities and persons responsible for possible destabilization of the functioning of the Polish railway network," added PKP PLK.