According to Rynek Kolejowy, a Polish news portal dedicated to railway industry, the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure and Development is planning to sign a long-term railway maintenance contract with the Polish infrastructure operator, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe, before the end of June 2015. It is very good news. The railway community, including ProKolej Foundation, has been long advocating for more stability and efficiency to be given to the national railway operator.

Investment in new tracks and equipment is just a start on the path to improvement of the railway competitiveness. From the point of view of railway development, both passenger and freight, track access charges and proper maintenance are the crucial issue. As we have been able to see, the railway financing scheme employed so far - based on short-term planning and annual budgets depending on unsteady state subsidies - leaves no space for responsible planning of the operator's activities, nor its clients.