Leo Express trains to be equipped with additional traction system
Dualisation worth €16 million will be carried out by Stadler
Prague, January 27, 2025 - Thanks to an investment of €16 million and the so-called dualisation, the Leo Express commercial trains will be able to use the traction system not only for direct current, but also for alternating current. Leo Express received a subsidy of about 40% from the Ministry of Transport for the conversion of the trains. Stadler won the tender for the implementation of the dualisation, i.e. enabling the train to use both DC and AC traction electricity.
"Thanks to dualisation, the Leo Express trains will be able to operate on both alternating current and direct current, enabling us to expand our services. The Ministry of Transport has awarded us a subsidy covering approximately 40% of the €16 million investment, for which we are very grateful. Furthermore, we received the highest rating among all applications submitted in the subsidy call," says Peter Köhler, CEO of Leo Express.
Within the framework of the Operational Programme Transport 2021-2027 (OPD3), the company received a subsidy from the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic for the conversion of Stadler Flirt train units to operate on the alternating current traction system. The planned modifications will allow the operator to continue operations on the Prague – Ostrava route after the planned change in the power supply system.
Stadler won the tender for the implementation of dualisation, i.e. the ability of the train to use both DC and AC traction power. The company is also the manufacturer of the Flirt trains used by Leo Express on commercial routes between Prague and Ostrava and on to Poland and Slovakia. A significant number of Czech suppliers, such as AŽD Praha or VUZ Velim, will be involved in the execution of the contract.
Contact for media
Emil Sedlařík, phone: +420 773 740 512, e-mail: [email protected]
Leo Express is a private international transport operator providing rail and bus passenger services across Central Europe since 2012. Its core network connects the Czech Republic with Slovakia and Poland, including services from Prague to Kraków, Warsaw and Prešov, complemented by feeder bus connections to Ukraine. In addition to its commercial services, the company operates PSO regional services in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In 2026, Leo Express is launching new international connections Prague – Olomouc – Bratislava, Frankfurt – Prague – Kraków – Przemyśl and Prague – Pilsen – Regensburg – Munich, further strengthening its cross-border network and connecting Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Germany with modern trains and high-quality onboard services.
Together with its strategic partner, the Spanish state railways Renfe, Leo Express is pursuing further growth in the European market, both in commercial routes and in public service obligations.
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