Poland will require 22,000 job positions for train drivers

In 2031, Poland will need 22,000 train drivers, according to a member of the board of PKP Intercity, as reported by the railway portal Railway Supply, citing Nakolei.

“Out of 90,000 employees in the entire railway sector in Poland, 43,000 are people over 50 years old. We are facing a generational shift in the workforce, which we are carefully preparing for,” said Krzysztof Sverchek, a member of the board of PKP Intercity, during the Forum Wizja Rozwoju.

He added that in 2031, Poland will require 22,000 job positions for train drivers.

Sverchek emphasized that PKP Intercity is actively preparing for this process.

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“In this regard, we have signed agreements with six universities to implement railway education programs,” he said.

He explained that this includes educational visits, internships, and all forms of collaboration with universities.

Krzysztof Sverchek added that this is just one of the trends followed by the national railway operator.

“In addition, we collaborate with 40 first-level vocational schools and technical schools that train young people in railway specialties. They prepare intermediate technical personnel that we need for train operations at stations,” he noted.

“In 2031, we will need 22,000 train drivers in Poland. In the perspective of these eight years, Polish carriers should employ 17,600 people in this profession,” said Sverchek.

He emphasized that the company needs to think about this and work on training new train drivers.

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He mentioned that it takes between 12 and 18 months to train a person who will have the right to operate a locomotive.

Krzysztof Sverchek reminded that currently, PKP Intercity is the largest railway carrier in Poland, employing over 1,600 train drivers.

He added that the increased demand for railway workers in the coming years is also a result of the company’s investments.

“By 2030, PKP Intercity will invest 27 billion zlotys, of which 24.5 billion zlotys will go into rolling stock and 2.6 billion zlotys into infrastructure,” he said.

The 6th Forum Wizja Rozwoju took place in Gdynia on June 19-20, 2023. The event, attended by experts, representatives of the business world, and government officials, focused on the most important challenges facing the Polish economy.

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