Lower Silesian Railways (; KD) is a regional rail operator primarily serving the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of Poland. Founded in 2007, KD is fully owned by the Lower Silesian Voivodeship – it was the first Polish state-owned rail operator to not be owned by Polish State Railways.

Outside of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, KD operates several routes, both regular and seasonal to Germany and the Czech Republic, sometimes jointly operated between Trilex (in Germany) and České dráhy (in the Czech Republic). KD also operates the Lower Silesian Agglomeration Railway, a commuter railway serving the Wrocław metropolitan area.

Train categories The only train category operated by KD is local passenger trains ().

Apart from KD's tickets, tickets issued by Polregio are accepted on board of KD trains.

History Following a decision of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Sejmik, Lower Silesian Railways (KD) was founded on 28 December 2007. It formally commenced operations on 6 February 2008, after being registered into the National Court Register, however passenger services did not commence until late 2008. KD then began recruiting and training staff in June of the same year, were Arriva RP collaborated with the company with the training programme. Driver training was held at the Żmigród Test Track in cooperation with the Lower Silesian branch of Polregio.

In September 2008, KD applied to the Polish Office of Rail Transport for the authorisation to commence passenger services. Due to the long waiting process, KD began operating services on behalf of , which allowed KD to commence passenger services earlier, but resulting in criticism from Polregio. After establishing a partnership with PKP Cargo, KD gained access to Legnica Depot, setting up headquarters there in the same city.

KD leased its first train on 8 December 2008, an SA106 unit 011 during the ceremony of the handover of Świdnica Miasto railway station from Polish State Railways (PKP) to the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. KD officially commenced its first regular passenger services on 14 December, first on the Katowice–Legnica railway, operating from Legnica to Międzylesie via Kłodzko Głowne. In the initial phase of its operations, KD adopted the transport tariff, carriage regulations, and ticket prices from Polregio. Tickets issued by Polregio where accepted on board KD trains, however KD-issued tickets where not accepted on board Polregio trains.

When KD began operation, it became Poland's first state-owned rail operator which wasn't owned by PKP, and fully by the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Also in 2008, KD leased two type 102A Ryflaki carriages from Lower Silesian Regional Railways, a now defunct private railway company. Despite extensive retrofitting of the carriages in 2009, they never entered service and were instead stored at Miłkowice Depot.

On 14 June 2026, Bielawa Jezioro and Bielawa Góry Sowie railway stations opened, which KD began serving. Route D30 was introduced to Leszno, from Wrocław Główny. The seasonal service to Świnoujście was re-introduced, and another seasonal service, a dedicated cyclist train, the KD Sprinter Ryszard Szurkowski, began operating between Wrocław Główny and Milicz.

Rolling stock

At first, the rolling stock consisted of diesel units provided by the Lower Silesian voivodeship government which had previously been used by Przewozy Regionalne (now known as Polregio): one SA106, one SA132, three SA134 and three SA135 diesel multiple units. Additional Diesel units were purchased in 2010 (three SA135 vehicles), 2011 (three SA134 vehicles) and 2015 (modern Pesa Link units marked as SA139).

Lower Silesian Railways (KD) obtained their first electric multiple unit from Polregio in 2013 (it was an EN57AL which had been retrofitted the previous year). Three more EN57-class units were purchased and retrofitted at the cost of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. The company also purchased completely new electric vehicles – the first Newag Impuls units (31WE) were ordered in 2011 in a batch of five. In 2014 the operator ordered six Impuls 36WEa units; the following year, they ordered five more 31WE units. One of the largest orders in KD's history was its purchase of eleven 45WE units in 2017, which, when the order was placed, were described as "the most well-equipped and comfortable trains in the country".

On 30 June 2026, the 37th Pesa Elf 48WEc was delivered to KD. Unit 064 was the one-hundredth train to enter service in KD, subsequently receiving its own livery in commemoration of the achievement. This is one of the Elfs ordered in the August 2024 contract; in the future the total number of Elfs on KD will be 55. This is the largest rolling stock order in KD's history.

The company uses the following rolling stock:

ClassPictureCars per setTypeTop speedNumber in serviceBuilder(s)Built / refurbishedkm/hmph SA106 1 DMU 1 Pesa 2005 SA109 2 DMU 2 Kolzam2005 SA132 2 DMU 1 Pesa2006 SA134 2 DMU 8 Pesa, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki2008, 2011 SA135 1 DMU 9 Pesa, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki2008, 2010–2011 SA139 2 DMU 4 Pesa2015 EN57 3 EMU 1 Pafawag, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki1988 / 2016 EN57AL 3 EMU 3 Pafawag, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki 1982–1992 / 2012–2015 EN57AKD 3 EMU 1 Pafawag, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki 1991 / 2013 31WE 4 EMU 10 Newag 2013–2015 36WEa 3 EMU 6 Newag 201436WEh3BMU1601006Newag2021–202245WE 5 EMU 11 Newag 201748WEc 5EMU 45 (out of 55)Pesa2022–present

Routes As of the 30 August 2026 timetable.

Trains Wrocław Główny – Legnica – Bolesławiec – Lubań Śląski / Wrocław Główny – Ścinawa – Głogów – Nowa Sól – Zielona Góra Wrocław Główny – Żmigród – Rawicz Wrocław Główny – Żmigród – Rawicz – Leszno Wrocław Główny – Sobótka – Świdnica – Bielawa Góry Sowie Wrocław Główny – Wałbrzych – Jelenia Góra Wrocław Główny – Siechnice – Jelcz-Laskowice Wrocław Główny – Siechnice – Jelcz-Laskowice – Biskupice Oławskie Wrocław Główny – Trzebnica Wrocław Główny – Kłodzko – Lichkov Wrocław Główny – Legnica – Zgorzelec – Görlitz / Wrocław Główny – Legnica – Lubin – Głogów Legnica – Chojnów – Chocianów Wrocław Główny – Legnica – Żary – Forst (Lausitz) Wrocław Główny – Jaworzyna Śląska – Świdnica – Bielawa Góry Sowie Wrocław Główny – Wałbrzych – Jelenia Góra – Szklarska Poręba Szklarska Poręba – Harrachov – Liberec Karpacz / Świeradów-Zdrój – Jelenia Góra – Görlitz Wrocław Główny – Jaworzyna Śląska – Świdnica – Głuszyca Sędzisław – Královec – Trutnov Wrocław Główny – Dobrzykowice – Jelcz-Laskowice Wrocław Główny – Oleśnica – Namysłów Wrocław Główny – Oleśnica – Milicz – Krotoszyn Wrocław Główny – Kłodzko – Kudowa-Zdrój Legnica – Świdnica – Kłodzko Wałbrzych – Kłodzko Główne – Kudowa-Zdrój Wrocław Główny – Świnoujście (seasonal)

Buses

Rawicz – Góra Oleśnica – Syców Kłodzko – Lądek-Zdrój – Stronie Śląskie

Route map

See also Acquisition of railways by the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesian Agglomeration Railway Lower Silesian Regional Railways

References

External links