CZECH private operator Leo Express has been awarded a five-year contract to operate the Czech portion of the Ex36 express service between Prague and Munich. The Czech Ministry of Transport selected Leo Express over incumbent Czech Railways (ČD), the only other bidder.
Leo Express will operate the Prague - Plzeň - Domažlice – German border service from December 2026. A two-week standstill period began on March 24, during which ČD may lodge an appeal against the decision.
The contract was awarded solely on price, excluding track access charges, with the Leo Express bid of Koruna 427m ($US 20.1m) significantly lower than ČD’s offer of Koruna 757m.
To operate the full 427km Prague - Munich service, Leo Express must reach agreement with Die Länderbahn, which currently operates the German section of the route under the Alex brand in cooperation with ČD. In Bavaria, the service falls under a public service obligation (PSO) contract awarded by Bavarian Railway (BEG), and runs from Munich main station to the border at Furth im Wald.
Leo Express has indicated that it intends to reach an agreement with the German private operator. Failing this, it would need to run open-access services in Germany at its own commercial risk. The timetable is expected to comprise eight return services per day at 2-hour intervals between Prague and Munich. Fares are expected to start at €9. Leo Express will operate its own ticketing system alongside the Czech government’s One Ticket (SJT) integrated ticketing scheme.
Fleet
Leo Express plans to deploy refurbished 200km/h Talgo inter-city coaches which it has leased from Spanish national operator Renfe, which holds a 50% stake in Leo Express. The trains will feature air conditioning, Wi-Fi and onboard passenger information systems, and will be hauled by multi-system locomotives.
Prague – Munich services are currently operated using both ČD and Die Länderbahn coaches, with Siemens ER20 class 223 diesel locomotives hauling cross-border services from Munich to Pilsen. Leo Express has not specified traction arrangements for the non-electrified Pilsen - Domažlice section in the Czech Republic.
Leo Express chief executive, Peter Köhler, says the route “deserves to be revitalised after years of customer dissatisfaction.” The new operator also plans to provide connections at Prague to eastern European cities including Warsaw, Kraków, Přemyšl, Prešov and Bratislava.
