Renfe and Leo Express have entered the home stretch before launching operations on the new Danube Line, scheduled for 10 December. Tickets are now on sale and yesterday, the new fleet of trains that guarantees accessibility and improves comfort on board, in addition to other operational and commercial innovations, will modernise Slovakia's main regional service, connecting the capital with the border city of Komárno, were presented at Bratislava station.
Several of the twenty one Coradia Lint 41 trains manufactured by Alstom to be used for this service were presented at Bratislava station. A range of low-floor diesel regional and intercity units, consisting of 240 spaces (140 seated), which will increase the capacity and reliability of the service and offer a step forward in terms of accessibility and comfort on board, with improvements in air conditioning, connectivity and customer services.
The Danube Train service, scheduled to be lauched on 10 December, represents a new milestone in the internationalisation of Renfe, which, for the first time, has participated from the initial preparation phase of the bid to secure a public obligation service contract in another EU country.
Award process
In 2021, Renfe acquired 50% of the capital in Leo Express and became the main shareholder of the Czech operator, with the strategic aim of expanding its presence in Europe, speeding up its entry into the direct operation of Open Access routes on which its European partner already operates and improving its positioning to access public service provision contracts in Central Europe, such as this one in Slovakia.
The rail service between Bratislava and Komárno is a public service that until now had been operated by the Slovak State Railway Company (ZSSK) in cooperation with its Austrian counterpart, ÖBB. In September 2021, the Slovak government put out the Danube Line service to tender for the next nine years (until December 2032) and Leo Express, with the backing of Renfe as its majority shareholder, submitted a bid in July 2022 being announced as the successful candidate over six other railway operators.
One month later, Leo Express was officially awarded the tender. The Slovak Ministry of Transport stressed at the time that the characteristics of the trains specified in the tender were decisive in the award, in particular emphasising the improvements in comfort and accessibility of the fleet proposed as part of the renewal of this service.
The contract for the provision of the service was signed in December 2022. To make all of this possible, Renfe Alquiler closed the lease operation of the twenty-one diesel Alstom Coradia Lint trains, which will modernise this regional service. This was the first international operation of this Renfe subsidiary.
In recent months, Renfe and Leo Express have worked together to complete the necessary procedures for the reception, adaptation and authorisation of the train fleet, as well as the other requirements for Leo Express to launch operations on 10 December.
For Renfe, this will be the first time that it is involved from the very beginning of the operation of a public obligation service in another EU country, although this is not its first European experience with this type of contract: following its acquisition of Leo Express capital, it has participated in the operation of an OSP contract in the Czech region of Pardubice. In relation to Leo Express, operating the Danube Line for nine years will see its activity multiplied by 1.8 times.
Presentation of the new Danube Line
The Danube Line is a regional service that connects Bratislava, the Slovak capital and its population of just under half a million inhabitants, with Komárno, on the border with Hungary, spanning 95 kilometres in length and a total of 29 stations and an average of 2.5 million passengers per year. It satisfies both the daily mobility needs of workers and students and tourist travel in the region.
Yesterday, future passengers were given a glimpse of the new train that will serve as the backbone of the country's main regional line at Bratislava Central Station. The new trains offer significant advances in terms of comfort (air conditioning, WIFI and on-board drinks) and the available fleet will also increase connections and capacity at peak times between Dunajská Streda, Kvetoslavov and Bratislava, with trains running at intervals of up to 20 minutes at peak times.
Tickets are on sale from Monday, with fares remaining the same as they were previously, €5.25, as well as offering weekly, monthly and quarterly passes. To celebrate the launch of the service, Leo Express has placed an annual pass on sale (DanubePass) offering travel for just one euro per day.
For tickets and more information about services and the launch, visit www.leoexpress.com.