Liberalization on the Rails: CEUTP Discusses International Experiences, the Role of the Organizer, and Preparations for Market Liberalization

The meeting, which took place on June 25, 2026, at the CEUTP headquarters, focused on preparations for the opening of the rail passenger transport market, international experiences, and tools to support the organiser in the effective planning and implementation of public services. The program included presentations by experts from Poland and abroad, including presentations on the experiences of Sweden, Finland, and Spain, as well as panels on risks, barriers, and practical tools for transportation organizers.

CEUTP is supporting preparations for the market opening

In introducing the participants to the topic of the meeting, Edyta Jaszczuk, director of the Transport Organization Department at CEUTP, emphasized that the Center supports the Minister of Infrastructure in preparations for the market opening and in achieving the next milestones of this process.

“We’re on schedule—we’re completing the tasks assigned to us on time. It’s a tight and demanding schedule, but one that allows for effective process management,” the expert emphasized.

At the same time, she noted that CEUTP is working on several issues simultaneously: supporting the development of the transportation plan, preparing the service offering, service bundling, the financial model, and the guidelines for the tender documentation. Another important element of these preparations is the recently announced preliminary market consultation, which is intended to facilitate an orderly and transparent dialogue with the market.

“The preliminary market consultations are intended to help us better prepare the documentation and discuss the key assumptions of the process with the market in a transparent manner,” said Edyta Jaszczuk.

The Passenger at the Center of Change

One of the main themes of the debate was the passenger’s perspective. Participants emphasized that market liberalization and an increased number of operators must not lead to information chaos. The following factors are of key importance: a clear service offering, accessible information, the integration of schedules and tickets, and planning stability.

“Passengers shouldn’t have to worry about which carrier is providing the service or what system is behind it. Our job is to provide them with clear information, easy access to the service, and efficient transportation,” emphasized Edyta Jaszczuk.

CEUTP aims to serve as a forum for dialogue, the exchange of experiences, and the development of solutions that can be applied more widely—both regionally and nationally.

“This isn’t about centralization or taking away authority. We want to be a place for dialogue, for sharing experiences, and for developing solutions that can also work in other regions or at the national level,” emphasized Edyta Jaszczuk.

During the discussion, attention was also drawn to the need for stability and predictability in the railway sector. Infrastructure investments, the purchase of rolling stock, and the implementation of new organizational models all require long-term planning.

Lessons Learned from International Experience

An important part of the workshop was a session devoted to international experiences with market liberalization. Experts discussed various models in use across Europe, including those from Sweden, Spain, and Finland. The event’s program included, among other things, a presentation on Sweden’s experience in combining open access with competitive bidding and ensuring network cohesion in a multi-operator environment.

Dr. Gunnar Alexandersson, senior advisor for regulation and international affairs at SJ AB, also pointed out that the liberalization of the rail market is not a process that can be implemented perfectly from the very beginning. Sweden’s experience shows that the liberalization model matures gradually—through successive contracts, analysis of outcomes, dialogue with the market, and adapting tools to the actual needs of passengers and transportation operators.

“It will be difficult at first—and you have to realize that even with the best preparation, mistakes are inevitable. This is natural, because liberalization is a process that takes years, not months. There is no single ideal model that can be applied everywhere, nor is there a universal formula for opening up the market. Each country, acting within the framework of EU law, must develop its own solutions—ones that address the needs of passengers, the specific characteristics of the market, and national conditions,” added the expert from Sweden.

Responsible Market Liberalization

Jacek Grzyb, head of the Transportation Planning Department at CEUTP, urged that the mistakes made during the liberalization of the freight transport market not be repeated.

“The passenger transport market should learn from the experiences of the freight market—excessive price pressure and excessive fragmentation can have negative consequences for the entire segment.”

The workshop demonstrated that opening up the passenger rail market is not just a matter of tender procedures. It is also a process of building capacity, engaging in dialogue with the market, learning from the experiences of other countries, and consistently strengthening the role of rail in the transportation system. The focus of these efforts remains the passenger—and their access to better, more predictable, and more integrated transportation options.

In his summary of the event, Krzysztof Rodziewicz, director of the CEUTP Department of Transportation Analysis, noted that developing the ultimate market-opening model is a multi-year process that requires further experience and iteration.