Leo Express is preparing to launch new cross-border passenger routes from Prague to Bratislava and Prešov, supported by a fleet of leased Vectron locomotives from RAILPOOL and Talgo trainsets provided through its partnership with Renfe.
The operator has taken on three multisystem locomotives, one of which has now been unveiled in a new white-and-orange livery aligned with Leo Express’s wider visual identity. The locomotives are intended for 13-car Talgo trainsets with capacity for around 350 passengers.
From a rail market perspective, the move underlines Leo Express’s strategy of expanding its Central European cross-border network with interoperable traction and lightweight long-distance rolling stock. The Talgo trainsets are designed for speeds of up to 200 km/h and combine low-floor access, barrier-free boarding and tilting technology, aimed at improving comfort on curving routes.
The new services to Bratislava and Prešov are part of a wider 2026 expansion. Leo Express says it is also launching new international connections on the corridors Prague–Olomouc–Bratislava, Frankfurt–Prague–Kraków–Przemyśl and Prague–Pilsen–Regensburg–Munich.
For RAILPOOL, the project marks its first support for Leo Express in cross-border passenger operations between the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The use of multisystem Vectrons reflects the growing role of leased interoperable locomotives in helping operators enter or expand international services without committing to new traction fleets of their own.
The development also highlights how open-access and private operators in Central Europe are increasingly combining rolling stock partnerships, leasing models and international alliances to build new routes more quickly and with lower upfront risk.
For the wider rail sector, Leo Express’s latest step is another sign that the Prague-led cross-border market remains active, with operators looking to strengthen links not only to Slovakia and Poland, but also further west into Germany.
