zech operator Leo Express, partly owned by Renfe, has secured a five-year contract to operate the international EX36 service connecting Munich and Prague. The agreement, granted by the Czech Ministry of Transport, will come into effect with the start of the next timetable on 13 December.
The service includes eight daily round trips at two-hour intervals. Covering around 439 kilometres, the route will connect both capitals via Plzeň, Holýšov, Domažlice, Furth im Wald, Schwandorf, Regensburg, Landshut and Freising.
International tickets will start at 219 Czech crowns (around €9). The five-year contract is valued at 427 million crowns (€17.5 million), excluding track access charges.
Leo Express to use trains acquired by Renfe for the Munich–Prague route
For this new service, Leo Express will use passenger coaches leased from Renfe Alquiler de Material Ferroviario. Although it was initially rumoured that the sets would be Talgo Pendular series VI units leased from Renfe, they will in fact be coaches purchased by RAMF from DB. These coaches can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h and will feature air conditioning, Wi-Fi connectivity, power sockets, an onboard entertainment system, and areas adapted for passengers with reduced mobility, bicycles and prams.
Leo Express will apply its own fare structure but will also accept integrated SJT/One Ticket passes issued by the Czech state, České dráhy (ČD) tickets, those from the Pilsen regional system, as well as international InterRail, Eurail and CIV tickets. Onboard catering will include both hot and cold drinks — beer among them.
The German section of the route, up to Munich, will be operated in cooperation with a local partner contracted by the Bavarian transport authority (BEG). Leo Express CEO Peter Köhler stated that this service will “revitalise a high-potential connection after years of customer dissatisfaction” and will establish direct links from Prague to destinations such as Warsaw, Kraków, Przemyśl, Prešov and Bratislava.
With this new step, Leo Express continues its international expansion. Before launching the Prague–Munich service, the company plans to inaugurate a new route in June linking Rzeszów, Prague, Dresden, Leipzig and Frankfurt, followed later in April by a new connection to Bratislava. The operator thus reinforces its growing role as a key player in European passenger rail transport.