From the beginning on the railroad

Petr’s path to the cab of our black-and-orange trains developed rather naturally. It was inspired by his family tradition. It was his childhood dream, which he began to fulfil by studying at the Technology and Transportation School in Ostrava. Petr was inspired by his father, who still works at the railways. “I got to Leo Express thanks to my colleague who worked there. Before that, I had worked as a train driver for another company. I drove cargo trains, but I wanted to try passenger trains. So, when the vacancy appeared, I went for it,” he recollects his beginnings. 

Many people who work on the rails tell you that their work is their hobby. Peter is no exception – the work of a train driver is more than just a job. “It simply has to be your hobby. There must be a strong passion,” he smiles. And he goes on speaking about the things he will never stop enjoying: “The best thing about this job is the marvellous views – the sunrises and sunsets, the landscape of the Tatras. It is unparallelled.” His favourite part of the route between Prague and Košice is the section near Štrba. 

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Work challenges

Delightful as the work might be, it is also challenging. “The hardest thing is to keep fully focused. You have to follow a number of things – the signals, the protection systems, the railways themselves, you have to make sure there is nothing on the line that should not be there.” Petr also explains that while pilots can partly rely on their autopilots, the responsibility for the train is fully in the hands of the driver, despite all the advancements in modern technologies, such as the automatic speed control. By the way – did you know what makes a good train driver? “If the driver is really competent, the passengers cannot tell whether the train is standing or moving,” smiles Petr. 

“Our trains are light, which makes them fast and nimble. Unlike ordinary trains, we can control our speed easier, which lets us stop more often,” says Petr. He also appreciates other aspects of working for Leo Express – convenience and the excellent team.