Leo Express celebrates 10 years and has gifts for passengers: among other things, a 50% discount on the purchase of a second ticket

Prague, 24 October 2022 - Leo Express is celebrating 10 years since the first train connection. Since then, it has made more than 56,000 journeys, covered 20 million kilometres and circled the globe 500 times. For the celebration, the carrier has prepared a gift for its passengers: a 50% discount for the purchase of a second long-distance ticket. The company is also preparing a number of accompanying projects and news such as limited editions of useful promotional items or special menus on board, including Spanish cava or Slovácké pate on the train. 

Since its beginnings, on the Prague-Ostrava route in late 2012, Leo Express has gradually expanded to other products, routes and countries. Despite major challenges, such as the coronavirus crisis, the vision of founder Leoš Novotný Jr. has gradually come to fruition - to create a strong European mobility provider with the capacity to innovate the ossified rail sector and improve the comfort, efficiency and environmental impact of transport. At the end of last year, following the entry of the Spanish national carrier Renfe, the Czech carrier became a Czech-Spanish international player with ambitions to participate in the liberalisation of the European rail transport market. Today, the company is certified and experienced in rail transport in four European countries. 

Manel Villalante, President of Leo Express values this tenth anniversary as "an emblematic date to remember all the milestones achieved, but also to project those ahead. These ten years of life of Leo Express would not have been possible without the commitment of the team of workers, nor without the trust of our customers. We are committed with our customers to improve our services and therefore to play an important role in mobility in Europe in the near future”. 

"For Leo Express, I want to see the company's vision of becoming a leader in the liberalisation of rail transport in Europe come true. For this we need you, the passengers, to continue to keep your loyalty to us," comments Leo Express CEO Peter Köhler.   

 "To fulfil our plans for the years to come, we have the best team of Leo Express employees on board, without whom it would be impossible to overcome the pandemic and plan for the future of the company. But without you, the passengers, any plans would be useless, so I want to thank you very much for your trust and loyalty, and I believe that with our strong partner we will bring you an even higher culture and reliability in travelling," adds Martin Bala, Leo Express Director for the Czech and Slovak Republic.    

Currently, the Leo Express Group offers rail services in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and continues to operate buses to Ukraine and other EU countries. The company offers both commercial risk and public service obligation, with trains going to Košice, Krakow, Slovácko and Orlice, for example. In its 10 years of existence, Leo Express has shown that it has its place on the rails as a modern, safe and environmentally friendly carrier.  It emphasizes nowadays commonplace services such as carefully selected seasonal food, reliable Wi-Fi connection or air conditioning.  

One ticket comes with a second ticket at a 50% discount and other gifts for passengers   

 To celebrate, the company has prepared a number of special events for its passengers. For example, they can look forward to a 1+1 special offer with a second ticket at a 50% discount on commercial connections, a special menu or new utility promotional items with the Leo Express logo. The gift ticket is ideal to use, for example, for a long weekend in Krakow or for trips around the Czech Republic. When purchasing, simply enter the promo code "LEO10" in the basket and head off.    

10 years since the first train, 20 million kilometres on the rails and tons of CO₂ offset   

 In its 10 years on the market, Leo Express has carried over 10 million passengers, made over 56,000 connections and travelled 20 million kilometres on rails, circling the globe almost 500 times. Passengers have travelled a total of 2.5 billion passenger kilometres on trains. Leo Express also pioneered long-distance open-access rail transport in Central Europe, i.e. operating services on a commercial basis without state support.    

After its beginnings on the commercial Prague-Ostrava route, for example, in 2014 it expanded to Slovakia, where it started operating the international Prague-Košice route. Subsequently, its trains connected the Czech Republic with Krakow in Poland. Leo Express is also a reliable partner for regional transport, which it has been providing for the Pardubice Region since 2019 in the Orlice region. The company also operates a follow-up bus service from Mukachevo to Košice, the number of which has now been increased. Among other things, this enables Ukrainian citizens to leave before the war.   

 This year, the Spanish national carrier Renfe joined Leo Express as a strategic partner. In the future, the company wants to expand to other regional and commercial lines in the Czech Republic and abroad.    

Leo Express places great emphasis on environmental protection. It actively motivates its customers to be environmentally friendly and is the only train carrier in the Czech Republic that allows them to offset the carbon footprint of their journey. Since the launch of the project in 2020, it has offset over 500 tonnes of CO₂ together with its customers and had 85 trees planted, with more to be added this year. Leo Express also offers passengers the option to take their coffee in a mug that they bring with them. For the record, more than 1.6 million coffees have been drunk on Leo Express trains since they started operating.    

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