Board the 11:07 from Warszawa Główna to Poznań this summer and you won't get there quickly — and that's the point. Poland's state railways have launched Nieśpieszny ("Unhurried"), a series of weekend retro journeys using fully refurbished 1980s carriages with period livery, running at least until the end of August 2026 from regions across the country, from the mountainous south to the Baltic coast.
The timing is no accident. The Polish parliament declared 2026 the Year of Polish Railways, marking both the 25th anniversary of long-distance operator PKP Intercity and the centenary of Polish state railways. Tickets start from £20, and the writer of the original piece booked on day one — a hint at how popular these departures are.
The five-hour crawl to Poznań (a fast train does it in barely two) is all about the ride. Think marmalade-coloured six-seater compartments, armchair-style seats, and windows that open fully so you can lean out. The dining car, run by WARS — the catering company that has fed Polish rail passengers since 1948 — serves vintage menus: fried eggs with dill-flecked potatoes, kefir, flaki (tripe soup), fruity apple pie and a brutally strong grainy coffee that regulars insist is "the old, traditional stuff". One passenger recalled the real 1980s, when trains were so packed people stood in the toilets. Among her fellow travellers, as it happened, was Canadian-based concert pianist Jan Lisiecki, visiting family roots in Gdańsk.
The scenery — wind turbines, pine forests, cabbage fields — is deliberately secondary. And that's the appeal for travellers: this is rail travel as a social occasion, not a commute. Don't expect to charge your phone; there are no obvious sockets aboard.
The retro rides also shine a light on Poland's rail charms more broadly. Wrocław Główny station, neogothic and completed in 1857, is worth a detour for its stained glass and 1950s neon alone. Stop in Toruń for the panoramic view of its medieval old town from across the Vistula, plus a small museum devoted to local adventurer Tony Halik, who drove a Jeep from Argentina to Alaska between 1957 and 1961. A short hop from Gdańsk lands you in Sopot on the Baltic, where Bar Przystań serves a fisherman's soup with halibut and salmon — and where you should absolutely try a jagodzianka, Poland's blueberry-filled summer bun.
In Poznań itself, the story's writer recommends the Palm House (one of Europe's largest greenhouses), the retro milk bar Pod Arkadami, and the Croissant Museum, where you can take a baking class on the city's signature iced, white-poppy-filled St Martin's croissants.
The nostalgia is charming, but modern Polish rail is moving fast too: disused carriages are being overhauled, stock is being brought in from abroad, and in February Poland won the 2026 Rail Champion award in Brussels for its contribution to European rail development. Riding the old way, then, is a pleasant counterpoint rather than a step back.
For rail fans, slow-travel devotees or anyone who wants to eat tripe soup in a 1980s dining car, these weekends are a rare chance to time-travel without leaving the timetable. The Koleo app is handy for navigating the network.