Schengen without seamlessness: How past policies shape contemporary cross-border transport across the Czech-Polish border

Despite being part of the Schengen Area and benefiting from European integration, the Czech-Polish borderland faces challenges in cross-border mobility and regional development. The study aims to analyze the historical evolution, contemporary status, and future potential of cross-border railway transport between Czechia and Poland. It identifies the dismantling of numerous cross-border railway connections in the mid-20th century due to geopolitical tensions. It examines the persistent barriers to their re-establishment despite the removal of physical border controls. Through a multidisciplinary approach rooted in human geography and border studies, the research analyzes timetables, literature, and interviews with regional stakeholders to assess these lost railway links’ socioeconomic and infrastructural impacts. The findings reveal that while cross-border integration has improved in recent decades, cross-border transport remains fragmented, with regional disparities and administrative obstacles limiting integration. The study highlights key areas for potential railway restoration and the importance of European funding. The results contribute to broader
discussions on border permeability, regional integration, and transport policy within the European Union. Strengths of the study include methodological diversity, empirical richness, and policy relevance. Limitations arise from significant reliance on secondary data and an emphasis on transport infrastructure and policy, leaving other aspects underexplored.
In addition, differences in transport governance between Czechia and Poland resulted in uneven representation in the interviews.