Social expectations in terms of improving the conditions of life in cities whilst increase of mobility poses a difficult challenge for urban transport organizers. At the same time, conditions related to sustainable development policies with scarce resources and available reserves focus attention on transport optimization and reduction of environment harmful impacts. The paper presents an assessment of the efficiency of urban transport in terms of capacity, energy use, CO2 emissions and costs, based on data on European medium cities in traffic conditions - peak (congestion) and off-peak traffic (no congestion). Compared were road vehicles: cars and buses of different propulsion, motorcycles and also rail vehicles: metro, tram/light rail and trains/heavy rail. The results are presented in tables or in graphs. The comparisons make it possible to identify the most efficient, in various scenarios, transport modes and may be helpful in deciding on issues related to the provision and organization of urban transport. In this article, cost evaluation omits external costs (although CO2 emissions are taken into account) but includes fixed and variable costs associated with the use of vehicles (including fuel costs, maintenance, inspections, depreciation, insurance).In the preparation of the article information available in literature, publication and reports, particularly of the European Commission one was used.

This article presents the results of analyses of energy efficiency and environmental outcomes of putting into operation high-speed trains—first of that kind in Poland—in 2014 on upgraded 3 kV DC lines. Comparative analyses of these trains in Poland have not been carried out so far and provide a new approach to assessing the feasibility of their adoption and, in a broader context, the advisability of replacing conventional with high-speed rail transport. The analysis supports the advantages of high-speed railway (HSR) and the need to develop a network of high-speed connections using energy-efficient trains in Poland. Putting these trains into service reduced CO2 emissions, which is significant in Poland as a country relying heavily on power generated in coal power plants and complies with the assumptions of the sustainable development policies and EU Green Deal. The outcomes of our analysis can be used for transportation planning to mitigate climate change and the presented approach provides a method of quantification of environmental impacts of HS trains.

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The purpose of this article is to present the changes that took place on the market of passenger transport by rail in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. Particular attention has been paid to the railway passenger transport in Poland. Two segments of this transport sector are presented: regional (represented by the POLREGIO company) and long-distance (represented by the PKP Intercity company). An analysis of the available data shows that irrespective of the segment, the year 2020 was characterized by significant reductions in terms of transport, which reached the lowest volumes in April and May, and the financial results of PKP Intercity were worse than in previous years; however, the share of POLREGIO in the market of passenger transport by rail increased. For the purpose of the article, literature and other available sources have been researched and analytical and synthetic methods have been applied. In addition to text, drawings are included. Keywords: railways, regional railway transport, long-distance railway transport, COVID-19

In March 2017, the Czech parliament passed a resolution obliging the government to launch a high-speed line program. Government resolution on launching the program was adopted in May 2017. The High Speed Railway Development Program in Czech Republic is intended to target international connections in several axes: Dresden-Prague-Brno-Vienna/Bratislava/Budapest, Katowice-Ostrava-Brno- Vienna/Bratislava/Budapest, Wroclaw-Prague-Munich. This network is supposed to improve Prague's accessibility to other cities in Czech Republic but also to major agglomerations of neighbouring states. This project is not only railway project but also a project of national development. One-day trip will include, among others, Dresden, Berlin, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Warsaw together with other big cities in Poland. Since 2010 in Polish - Czech cooperation are being prepared studies on lines Wrocław - Praga and Katowice - Ostrava. The high-speed railway program implementation in Czech Republic and in Poland and Baltic Countries will result in an effective connection between Prague and Baltic Countries capitals. Creation of an international fast railway network in Central Europe is a part of the EU's transport policy framework for TEN-T network development and will contribute to the progress of economic links in the region. In addition, it is going to be involved in the European Union social and economic cohesion improvement.