THE first Leo Express service to Krakow departed on July 20 from platform 1B at Prague’s main railway station, becoming the first long-distance open-access passenger operator and the only Czech passenger train operator in Poland.

The first trip, which was blessed by the arch abbot of the Břevnov monastery, Mr Petr Prokop Siostrzonek, was attended by the Polish commissioner for the internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises, Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska.

Leo Express’ new service stops at Bohumín in the Czech Republic and Tychy, Katowice, Mysłowice, Zator, Auschwitz and Krakow in Poland.

“We are looking forward to serving new customers not only from Poland and we believe that the new connection will increase the interest in comfortable ecological train travel, as we have done in the Czech Republic,” says Leo Express CEO Mr Peter Köhler. “Now we connect Prague and Krakow, but we definitely want to develop more connections in Poland.”