REGIOJET’s long-distance services carried 2.76 million passengers in the first half of 2018, a new record for the Czech and Slovakian open-access operator and more than 600,000 more than in the same period in 2017, an increase of 26% on its yearly average.

THE Italian Transport Authority (ART), headed by Mr Andrea Camanzi, issued infrastructure manager Italian Railway Network (RFI) with a €620,000 fine on August 2 for discriminatory behaviour in the sanctioning of operation at speeds exceeding 300km/h on the country’s high-speed network.

THE first Leo Express service to Krakow departed on July 20 from platform 1B at Prague's main railway station, becoming the first long-distance open-access passenger operator and the only Czech passenger train operator in Poland.

CZECH open-access operator Leo Express announced on June 20 that tickets have gone on sale for its new Prague - Krakow service, which will begin operating on July 20.

SWEDISH open-access passenger operator Saga Rail (SR) has announced it has stopped operation of its sole service and lodged a complaint with the Swedish Competition Authority (SCA) until a dispute with incumbent national operator SJ is resolved, in protest at SJ’s refusal to offer SR tickets on SJ.se, the dominant online sales channel for train tickets in Sweden.

FLIXTRAIN has announced plans to add a second train pair on its new Stuttgart - Berlin route from June 21 with frequency set to increase to daily from five times per week from June 12.

AUSTRIAN open-access operator Westbahn has applied to the Austrian rail regulator Schienencontrol to extend its Vienna - Salzburg service to Munich. The German rail regulator is expected to publish a similar application in due course.

GERMAN Rail (DB) subsidiary Arriva Spain confirmed on May 7 that it has filed a request before the Spanish rail regulator to establish international passenger services connecting A Coruña with Porto.