The second quarter of 2025 ended for PKP CARGO with a net profit of PLN 30.7 million (EUR 7.2 million), compared to losses of over PLN 450 million a year earlier. Operating profit for the same period reached PLN 75 million (EUR 17.7 million).
The results mark a reversal in trend for the freight operator, though the full picture remains mixed. For the entire first half of 2025, the company still closed with a net loss of PLN 17.9 million (EUR 4.2 million), despite generating an operating profit of PLN 54.7 million (EUR 12.9 million). Revenues for the period totalled PLN 1.82 billion (EUR 430 million).
The improved margins were largely driven by cost-cutting, including a reduction in personnel expenses by over PLN 200 million year-on-year. Employee benefit costs fell from PLN 1.02 billion in H1 2024 to PLN 810 million (EUR 191 million) in the same period this year.
On 30 June, PKP CARGO formally submitted its Restructuring Plan, which will run until the end of 2026. It includes layoffs, structural reorganisation, and a shift towards process standardisation and automation. The group confirmed plans to carry out collective redundancies affecting up to 500 employees by the end of September 2025. The decision comes amid lower rail freight volumes and shrinking revenues, forcing the company to scale back staffing.
At the same time, the company has redesigned its commercial structure. The reorganisation introduced product-focused departments and a new regional office to attract small and mid-sized clients. In the first half of the year, 84 new commercial contracts were signed, part of an effort to stabilise the customer base and streamline decision-making.
According to data from the Office of Rail Transport (UTK), PKP CARGO’s market share in freight volumes rose from 25.3% in July to nearly 26.7% in August, suggesting a gradual recovery in demand.
The impact of these measures is beginning to reflect in its financials, though the process will continue through 2026.
