RegioJet, a private transportation company, has recently increased the number of train connections between Prague and Bratislava. Previously operating three pairs of trains, they added a connection. Moreover, they have announced plans to start working on the Prague to Berlin route next year, as stated by the company’s spokesperson, Alexandra Janoušek Kostřicová.
The new connection between Prague and Bratislava departs from Prague at 5:15 p.m. and returns from the Slovak capital in the morning at 6:21. This brings the total number of daily RegioJet connections between Prague and Brno to ten pairs, with either Bratislava, Vienna, Budapest, or Žilina as their destination or departure stations.
RegioJet has already started selling train tickets for this route until March of next year. The offering of railway connections between Brno and Prague has also expanded, with nearly continuous half-hour intervals available throughout the day. This is possible because the Czech Railways operate their trains hourly, with RegioJet following a similar schedule, with some exceptions.
Czech Railways plan to operate 19 long-distance connections daily between Prague and Brno, most ending or beginning in Budapest or Graz, passing through Bratislava or Vienna.
In other news, Czech Railways will increase ticket prices by nearly 10 percent. RegioJet had already expanded its connections between Prague and Košice from two to three trains in July, including a night train. Czech Railways operates two marches on this route, including a night train.
RegioJet has also applied for permission to access the Polish railway network, allowing them to operate connections between Germany and the Polish-Ukrainian border. This is because Přemyšl is a transfer hub for further transportation to Ukraine, and trains from Prague arrive there.
RegioJet is in discussions with the railway infrastructure administrators regarding the Prague-Berlin line to determine the specific route. “We expect to provide the same level of service on this line as we currently do on our trains. The launch is planned for 2024,” said Petr Kohoutek, the financial director of RegioJet. Currently, Czech Railways operates in cooperation with Deutsche Bahn on the Prague to Berlin route.
After a period affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Radim Jančura’s yellow trains and buses transported ten million people last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic demand levels seen in 2019.