Poland raises alert level on its railways after sabotage linked to Russia

Poland is strengthening security measures following a series of recent acts of sabotage on its railway network.

According to the Government Centre for Security (RCB), the third-level CHARLIE alert has been introduced from midnight on railway lines operated by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (Polish State Railways) and PKP Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa (the Broad-Gauge Metallurgical Line), Caliber.Az reports, citing Polish media.

The alert will remain in force until February 28, 2026.

The decision was taken by the prime minister after a series of incidents linked to sabotage targeting railway infrastructure.

The immediate trigger was the arrest of two Ukrainian nationals who, according to security services, had been cooperating with Russian intelligence. They are accused of blowing up a section of track on the Warsaw–Dorohusk line near the village of Mika in the Mazovia region on November 15. The following day, a train carrying 475 passengers was forced to make an emergency stop after damage was found on the tracks near Gołąb station in the Lublin region.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament that the incidents constitute “an unprecedented situation and possibly the most serious since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine” in terms of Poland’s security.

The CHARLIE alert level requires reinforced security presence and heightened readiness of all relevant services, including those responsible for responding to a potential terrorist attack.

By Khagan Isayev