LEO Express

LEO Express a.s.
Headquarters Prague, Czech Republic[1]
Key people
 Leoš Novotný Group CEO (majority shareholder),[1] Peter Köhler CEO, CEE (minority shareholder)
Services Open-access operator
Revenue Increase CZK 129 mio. (First half of 2015)[2]
Increase CZK -38 mio. (First half of 2015)[2]
Total assets Decrease CZK 992 mio. (First half of 2015)[2]
Total equity Decrease CZK -196 mio. (First half of 2015)[2]
Owner Leoš Novotný (97 %)[3]
Number of employees
 Decrease 160 (2014)[3]
Parent LEO Express N.V. (95 %)[3]
Website www.le.cz
Stadler FLIRT in Leo Express livery
Interior of the second class

LEO Express, formerly Rapid Express, is an open-access train operator set up in 2010. It launched inter-city services in November 2012 on the Prague–Ostrava route (in the Czech Republic), on which Czech Railways (state owned train operator) and RegioJet (open-access train operator) were already running trains.[4] In 2013 LEO Express became the first private railway operator introducing direct connection between Prague and South Moravian Region (Staré Město u Uherského Hradiště).

The company is currently connecting over 30 cities in Czech Republic (Pardubice, Olomouc, Přerov, Ostrava), Slovakia (Poprad - Tatry, Košice), Poland (Katowice, Kraków) and Ukraine (Mukacheve, Uzhorod) within its network. LEO Express network includes also LEO Express and LEO Express Easy buses to Poland, Southern Bohemia and Ukraine connecting train timetables in the key train stations.[5]

Services

A trial passenger service was launched on 13 November 2012, ahead of the full service planned for 9 December 2012.[6] The full service was delayed until 18 January 2013 due to technical problems with the trainsets.[7] The company runs 18 trains daily between Prague and Bohumín, calling at Pardubice, Olomouc, Hranice na Moravě, Přerov, Suchdol nad Odrou, Studénka and Ostrava.[8] Several lines are prolonged to Karviná, Třinec, Český Těšín and further across Žilina and other cities to Poprad - Tatry and Košice (Slovakia).

There are three travelling classes available for passengers in trains: Economy, Business and Premium.[9] In Premium Class are seats foldable to sleeping position. Onboard services in all classes include free WiFi, stewards, onboard menu and infotainment with movies.[10]

LEO Express promotes in line with EU strategy door to door concept of public transportation.[11] Therefore, it aims to make the journey to and from railway stations as easy as possible by partnering with urban transportation services. In March 2015 the company announced a cooperation with Uber in major cities.[12] The operator also supports the first Czech bike-sharing project Rekola.[13]

Trains

LEO Express owns five long distance specially adapted Stadler FLIRT IC units five-car electric multiple units.[4] The first was handed over to LEO Express on 5 February 2012.[14] The Stadler FLIRT units used by LEO Express have the fastest acceleration on Prague - Ostrava railway route.174426 eko-doprava suj The trains have on-board wifi[15] and air-condition. LEO Express trains are black with golden details and a white company logo.

Buses

The company operates black LEO Express buses between Bohumín (Silesia), Katowice and Kraków (Poland), running two times a day in each direction.[5] Onboard services include stewards, free WiFi, snacks and drinks.

In June 2015, the operator introduced a new network branded LEO Express Easy, which associates regional high-quality bus service providers. LEO Express Easy bus currently runs connections between Prague, Tábor, České Budějovice and Český Krumlov. In October 2015 LEO Express Easy bus runs connections between Košice, Michalovce, Uzhorod and Mukacheve.[16] Stewards as well as free WiFi snacks and coffee are aviable on board.[17]

All operated buses are connected to the train timetables and stop in front of the respective railway station buildings.[18]

Plans

In the half of April 2014 the company announced a plan to run trains in cooperation with Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko between Prague and Košice (from December 2014).[19] However this plan was cancelled in the middle of July 2014.[20] The company decided to launch one daily train from Prague to Košice and one night train from Košice to Prague on their own risk from December 2014.[21] In November 2015 the company launched a bus connection between Bohumín and Kraków. In spring 2015 it introduced new LEO Express Easy Bus network.[17]

From December 2015 LEO Express plans to start calling at Kolín and Zábřeh na Moravě (Czech Republic). It will also introduce new connections in Slovakia and will become the first private train operator calling in Prešov.[22]

References

  1. 1 2 Financial statements of RAPID Express a.s. for 2010
  2. 1 2 3 4 Semi-annual report of LEO Express a.s. for first half of year 2015, pages 21-24
  3. 1 2 3 Annual report of LEO Express a.s. for 2015, pages 9, 38-39, 76
  4. 1 2 "First Leo Express train handed over". Railway Gazette International. 8 February 2012.
  5. 1 2 trueScan, GFX Prague Bistro, CODE. "LEO Express autobusy". www.le.cz. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
  6. ↑ "LEO Express carries first passengers". Railway Gazette International. 15 November 2012.
  7. ↑ Sůra, Jan. "Leo Express vyřešil problémy s vlaky, od pátku spustí plný provoz". iDNES. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "Timetable". LEO Express. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  9. ↑ http://www.le.cz/cms/65-nase-vlaky.html
  10. ↑ trueScan, GFX Prague Bistro, CODE. "Naše vlaky - Leo Express a.s.". www.le.cz. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
  11. ↑ Němeček, Josef. "Šéf LEO Express pro Evropu: Černá čísla budou příští rok - Roklen24.cz". Retrieved 2015-09-03.
  12. ↑ "Leo Express uzavřel spolupráci s Uberem, zatím nabídne odvoz na nádraží". Retrieved 2015-09-03.
  13. ↑ "Rekola". www.rekola.cz. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
  14. ↑ Josef Petrák (5 February 2012). "LEO Express převzal od výrobce první jednotku FLIRT". ŽelPage.
  15. ↑ "Fast internet means satisfied passengers". Railway Gazette International. 29 February 2012.
  16. ↑ "Leo Express expanduje na Ukrajinu, spustí autobusy do Mukačeva". iDNES.cz. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  17. 1 2 "Leo Express spouští linku na jih Čech. Místo vlaků pojede autobusy". iDNES.cz. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
  18. ↑ "LEO Express rozšiřuje síť o návazné autobusy do jižních Čech | ParlamentniListy.cz – politika ze všech stran". www.parlamentnilisty.cz. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
  19. ↑ http://byznys.ihned.cz/zpravodajstvi-cesko/c1-62028560-po-jancurovi-vyrazi-na-slovensko-i-leo-express-usiluje-o-trat-do-kosic
  20. ↑ http://ekonomika.idnes.cz/zssk-nebude-spolupracovat-s-leo-express-ffc-/eko-doprava.aspx?c=A140613_112937_eko-doprava_suj
  21. ↑ http://www.parlamentnilisty.cz/zpravy/tiskovezpravy/LEO-Express-uz-jezdi-do-Kosic-v-sobotu-vecer-predstavi-vlaky-v-nocnim-rezimu-350038
  22. ↑ "Více vlaků na Slovensko. Soukromníci od prosince dál posílí". iDNES.cz. Retrieved 2015-09-03.

See also

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