Poland investigates unknown objects on tracks near Suwałki Corridor
Law enforcement agencies in Poland have launched an investigation after a train driver was forced to stop due to obstacles on railway tracks near the Suwałki Corridor, a strategic section on the Polish-Lithuanian border.
The incident occurred on 13 November and was first reported by Gazeta Wyborcza, with TVP World later covering the ongoing investigation.
The driver, operating two coupled locomotives without carriages, stopped and, according to various accounts, either removed or reported the branches, stones, and a board blocking the track. The incident took place near the village of Račky in the north-eastern Podlasie region.
The case drew particular attention due to its proximity to the Suwałki Corridor, a narrow land passage between Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. This corridor is the only overland link between the Baltic states and their NATO allies in the south and is considered crucial for regional security.
In light of recent acts of sabotage targeting railway infrastructure in other parts of Poland, authorities have heightened vigilance and lowered the threshold for treating unexplained obstructions as potential security threats.
Initially, the police reportedly treated the incident as a minor offence, possibly a prank. However, the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW) later began monitoring the case after receiving a report from the police.
At this stage, investigators are collecting witness statements and physical evidence. Officials have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, but no charges of sabotage have been filed.
Recent sabotage incidents have also occurred on the Warsaw-Lublin railway line, which is strategically important for the transport of aid to Ukraine.
Poland is set to receive €44 billion from the European Union to strengthen its defence capabilities.
