Freight carriers’ rolling stock in Poland
Last year, freight carriers had approximately 81,700 wagons at their disposal. They owned a total of 84,839 vehicles (89,041 in 2024). The reduction in the fleet is linked to adjustments to changes in the structure of freight groups transported, the development of intermodal transport, and carriers disposing of their oldest and most unreliable vehicles.
In 2025, the number of locomotives at the disposal of freight operators fell to 3,143, representing a decrease of 148 (-4.5 per cent) compared with the figure for 2024.
Due to their versatility, diesel locomotives remain the most numerous group of locomotives among freight carriers. For this reason, carriers incur expenditure to maintain them in good working order for as long as possible. They are also investing in new diesel locomotives that meet higher environmental standards. Nevertheless, their number fell by 5.1 per cent year-on-year (in 2025, there were 1,643 diesel locomotives).
The second largest group of locomotives among freight operators consists of electric locomotives, although their number also fell by 4.8 per cent compared with 2024 (1,360 units in 2025). By contrast, the number of dual-drive locomotives increased (by 6.1 per cent), totalling 139 in 2025. Freight operators continued to operate just one hydrogen locomotive.
There were also fewer wagons than in 2024 – their number fell by 4.7 per cent to 81,696. The decline affected 6 out of the 10 types of wagons operated by freight operators in 2025.
The largest decreases were seen in special-design coal wagons (-14.4 per cent), from 13,499 to 11,550, and standard-design coal wagons (-4.2 per cent), from 41,860 to 40,114. There was an increase in the number of special-design bogie flat wagons, special-purpose wagons, open-top wagons and other wagons.
The working comfort of train drivers is influenced by the equipment fitted to traction vehicles. In 2025, 47.4 per cent of electric locomotives were air-conditioned (41.8 per cent in 2024), 44.6% of diesel locomotives (38.7% in 2024) and 89.9% of dual-mode locomotives (98.2% in 2024). Front-facing cameras were fitted to 30.7 per cent of electric locomotives (27.9 per cent in 2024), 40.7 per cent of diesel locomotives (37.4 per cent in 2024) and 89.2 per cent of dual-power locomotives (86.2 per cent in 2024). Internal cameras are fitted to 3% of electric locomotives (3.9% in 2024), 8.9% of diesel locomotives (the same as in 2024) and 5% of dual-power locomotives (11.9% in 2024). The hydrogen locomotive, which was introduced in 2024, is equipped with both air conditioning and a front-facing camera.