Leo Express' Talgo "riddle" solved
posted on 11th Oct 2025 12:44
On 8 October 2025, Leo Express announced that it had launched the sale of tickets for trains in the new timetable. The press release also revealed where the Talgo VI rakes will be deployed, the first of which arrived at Velim on 12 August 2025, and around which Leo Express has so far created an information vacuum.
In addition to information about the development of traffic to Poland, which is, however, forced primarily by the planned switchover of the Žilina node to 25 kV 50 Hz power supply in the first quarter of 2026, through which the 3 kV DC-only Class 480 FLIRTs will then not be able to run towards east of Slovakia, the operator informs that „there will be a temporary interruption of connections to Prešov, which will be restored on 30 April 2026".
From the same day, the operator will launch a new line to Bratislava, which Peter Köhler, Leo Express CEO, describes as follows: “Passengers in the Zlín region wanted the return of Leo Express, so we have provided them with truly low-floor Talgo S6 trains offering high comfort. Our competitors in long-distance transport mainly offer high-floor trains, where the entrance via stairs can discourage parents with children, older passengers, cyclists or passengers in wheelchairs.
At the same time, we have planned the services in such a way that we also serve Hodonín, Břeclav and Bratislava. In the latter city we will stop both at the main station, from where our suburban trains to Dunajská Streda and Komárno depart, and also on the other side of the Danube River in Petržalka. No one currently operates such a route and we believe that the newly created direct service will appeal to many new passengers.
Our trains will offer a unique combination of low-floor solutions and barrier-free access. Thanks to the bodyshell tilting and the technical solution of the bogies make the ride smooth and comfortable even on curves. I am convinced that these unique features will appeal not only to competitors' customers, but also to people who still travel by car, bus or plane, and will show them a more comfortable and sustainable way of traveling. Of course, highly reliable temperature control and air conditioning, as well as an independent energy source, are also included.”
The last point tactfully indicates that during the entire run under the overhead line (i. e. everywhere), the Talgo rake will be powered by a diesel genset from a generator car instead from an electric locomotive via a train heating cable. Which is slightly spicy for an operator that offers passengers a surcharge for carbon footprint compensation when buying a ticket in its FLIRT EMUs... Let's leave aside the issue of refueling and the costs of operating and maintaining generator cars for these non-traction units - as well as the travel comfort of a train with single-axle rodales, especially on the lousy ŽSR tracks...
Traction for Talgo VI rakes is to be provided by Vectrons. It will be interesting to see how quickly the approval of Talgos for operation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia will proceed. We asked the relevant railway authorities whether Leo Express (or Renfe or Talgo) has applied for approval for the operation of Talgo sets on the railways in question.
As of 26 September, the Slovakian Dopravný úrad replied to us: “Talgo established initial contact with us at the beginning of September 2025. However, a meeting that would clarify the details of Talgo’s requirements towards our transport authority has not yet taken place.” The Czech Drážní informed us that no one had asked it to start the approval process for Talgo sets for operation in the Czech Republic, and the same answer came from the Polish UTK regarding operation in Poland.