Leo Express, a Czech railway operator, intends to introduce a night train service between Ostend in Belgium and Bratislava in Slovakia via Germany and Czechia from mid-December 2026; Thibault Lapers reports on his Mobilithib Substack. Leo Express notified the Czech Office for the Protection of Economic Competition (Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže) of its intentions.

The proposed service would consist primarily of first- and second-class carriages, along with a single couchette car. The project forms part of the company’s wider expansion plans, which also include additional international and domestic routes from Czechia and Slovakia.

In June 2025, Leo Express submitted a notification to the Office, outlining its intention to operate the Ostend–Bratislava route. 

From Belgian perpective, the planned itinerary includes stops in Brussels, Liège, Aachen, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hanover, Magdeburg, Dresden, and Prague, before reaching Bratislava Main Station (Bratislava hlavná stanica). This notification is a required procedural step under open access regulations, but it does not yet imply formal authorisation or allocation of train paths.

The service is scheduled to commence on 13 December 2026 with one daily round trip. Eastbound trains would depart Ostend at 7:10 PM, arriving in Bratislava at 2:18 PM the following day. 

Westbound services would leave Bratislava at 2:44 PM, reaching Ostend at 9:52 AM the next morning. The total journey time is estimated at approximately 19 hours. The projected start date remains subject to change due to potential unforeseen delays.

2023

Leo Express had previously filed a notification with the Belgian rail regulator in mid-2023 for a daytime service between Bratislava and Ostend, with a planned launch between December 2024 and spring 2025. That service has not yet commenced. Other operators, including České dráhy, Gerhát Train, and RegioJet, have also submitted plans for new services under the 2027 timetable.

Will it happen?

Over the years, many intentions and notifications have been lodged, but not so many have become reality. So we’re a bit skeptical. But prove us wrong, Leo Express. 

Leo Express?

Leo Express, formerly Rapid Express, is an open-access railway operator based in the Czech Republic. Founded in 2010, it began passenger services in November 2012 on the Prague–Ostrava route, competing with Czech Railways and RegioJet. It now operates trains connecting around 30 cities across the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, and also runs bus services to destinations in Poland and South Bohemia.

Its full launch was delayed to January 2013 due to technical issues with its Stadler Flirt trains. Initial services included Prague–Bohumín and a daily extension to Košice in Slovakia. Within three years, Leo Express had carried over two million passengers.

The company has formed several strategic partnerships. In 2015, it teamed up with Uber to offer door-to-door connections to stations. In 2017, it partnered with Trainline for ticket sales and with German operator FlixTrain to expand into the German market, launching a Berlin–Stuttgart service in 2018. Leo Express was the first private operator of long-distance trains in Poland and began Prague–Wrocław services in 2019 with Koleje Dolnośląskie. It also secured permits for services to Medyka and applied for a Kraków–Warsaw route.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted operations in 2020, and its partnership with FlixTrain ended in 2021. That same year, Spain’s national operator Renfe acquired a 50 percent stake, aiming to expand its international presence.

In 2020, Leo Express received German certification from the Federal Railway Authority, becoming the only Czech operator authorised to run in Germany. The company’s original fleet includes five Stadler Flirt EMUs, offering three travel classes and onboard amenities such as Wi-Fi, catering, and accessible facilities. A later order for CRRC trains was cancelled in 2022 due to certification issues.

Leo Express also operates intercity buses, including routes between Bohumín, Katowice, Kraków, Prague, and Český Krumlov. In 2023, the company announced plans for a night train between Ostend and Bratislava, scheduled for launch in December 2026.

UPDATE JULY 2025 | Application sent to Belgian Regulatory Body for Railway Transport and Brussels Airport Operations

On 14 July 2025, the Belgian Regulatory Body for Railway Transport and Brussels Airport Operations received a similar application.

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