Leo Express, the Czech operator partly owned by Renfe, inaugurated on Sunday, 1 March 2026, its new route between Warsaw and Kraków—the company’s first domestic service in Poland. The new service extends the existing Prague–Kraków route to the Polish capital.
The first train departed from Warszawa Wschodnia station at 07:21, calling at Warszawa Centralna, Warszawa Zachodnia, Opoczno Południe and Włoszczowa Północ before continuing towards Prague via Ostrava, Olomouc and Pardubice.
With this launch, the Czech operator begins regular operations between Poland’s two largest cities, strengthening the international Warsaw–Kraków–Prague corridor. Since tickets went on sale in September, 100,000 seats have already been sold.
The inaugural journey featured a platform celebration, where the first passenger was presented with a travel voucher and a stay at the Hilton Prague Atrium. Among the guests were representatives of PKP PLK, the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), and the Czech and Spanish embassies. “We’ve shown that key routes can operate without subsidies, with zero-emission transport and attractive fares,” highlighted Leo Express CEO Peter Köhler.
The company currently runs two services per direction daily, with plans to expand to four before summer. It also intends to launch new international links, including Przemyśl–Frankfurt Airport and connections to Bratislava and Lviv.
Leo Express trains feature 5G Wi‑Fi, onboard at‑seat catering and four travel classes, including Premium Sleeper with fully reclining seats converted into beds.