Leo Express this morning presented the Talgo VI trainsets with which it will strengthen its rail offer in Central Europe from 30 April.
The launch event included a demonstration run between Prague and Bratislava, calling at Pardubice, Olomouc, Otrokovice, Staré Město u Uherského Hradiště, Hodonín and Břeclav, and was attended by Renfe’s chairman, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, alongside senior figures from the Renfe Group.
The entry into service of this rolling stock marks the culmination of over two years of technical and regulatory work to certify the coaches on the Czech and Slovak rail networks. It is the first time Talgo stock has operated commercially in both countries, although test runs were conducted with a Pendular set in the former Czechoslovakia in 1991.
The three sets being used by Leo Express were leased from Renfe following their withdrawal from the Madrid–Algeciras Intercity service in 2024 — the last variable-gauge train to haul locomotive-hauled stock, drawing a line under an operation spanning more than half a century that had been vital to linking Spain with France and the rest of Europe by rail.
Two new international services
Leo Express will launch with the Talgo VI sets a direct service between Prague and Bratislava, operating twice daily with departures from Prague at 06:25 and 14:23, and a journey time of approximately five and a half hours.
The afternoon service will terminate at Bratislava-Petržalka station, the largest residential district in the Slovak capital — a direct connection that no rail operator had previously offered. At the same time, the Prague–Ostrava–Žilina–Prešov corridor will be reinstated with two daily workings (10:23 and 19:23 from Prague), also restoring the call at Staré Město u Uherského Hradiště, which had been dropped following changes to the line’s electrification infrastructure.
Talgo VI technical specifications
The three rakes leased by Leo Express from Renfe comprise 13 coaches and a Siemens Vectron locomotive — itself leased from Railpool — with a capacity of 354 passengers and a maximum line speed of 200 km/h
The Talgo VI coaches are distinguished by their low-floor design, universal accessibility and natural pendulation technology, which tilts the carbody through curves without the need for an active system, improving both comfort and average commercial speed on alignments with tight curvature. The stock dates from the 1990s and has recently undergone a full refurbishment by Renfe; it continues to operate in Spain on the Madrid–Almería, Valencia–Cartagena and Barcelona–Valencia (Fridays and Sundays) services.
Refurbished interiors and on-board services
The interiors have been fully redesigned in Leo Express’s new corporate livery of white and orange, departing from the distinctive black associated with its Stadler Flirt fleet. The trains offer two classes — Economy (308 seats) and Business (40 seats) — with a seat pitch of up to one metre in standard class, the widest available in second class anywhere in Czechia.
A notable new feature in the Leo Express offer is the inclusion of a buffet car in each rake, alongside at-seat catering. The trains also feature a quiet zone in both classes and a family area with space for pushchairs.
In Business, travellers will also have a self-service coffee machine and a refrigerator with snacks.
Renfe’s international strategy through Leo Express
The project, led by Renfe Proyectos Internacionales and Renfe Alquiler de Material Ferroviario, is a key element of the Renfe Group’s expansion across Europe. Under the agreed maintenance model, Leo Express acts as the Entity in Charge of Maintenance, while Tarvia, in coordination with Renfe Ingeniería y Mantenimiento, will handle heavy overhauls and the management of strategic components.
Renfe took a 50% stake in Leo Express in December 2021, and since then the Czech operator has grown steadily, with forecasts pointing to more than six million passengers annually in 2026 and new services under way to Poland and Germany.
Tickets for both routes are already on sale via the Leo Express website from €4 for domestic and international services, with launch fares for 30 April from 399 Czech crowns (approximately €16) in Economy and 649 crowns (approximately €26) in Business.