Epic new train route links Prague to multiple European cities

Czech public transport operator Leo Express has announced grand plans for a multi-country train route, with one complete journey lasting 19 hours and passing through four different countries.

The proposed route will start in the Belgian city of Ostend and terminate in the Slovak capital of Bratislava. Passengers will also pass through various cities in Czechia and Germany, with around 50 stops at “some of Europe’s major city break destinations,” Euronews writes.

Under current plans, the train will leave Ostend at 6:15 a.m. Leo Express says the train will stop in Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, and Liège in Belgium, followed by over 20 German cities including Cologne, Hanover, Leipzig, and Dresden. 

It will then pull into Czechia at 8 p.m., continuing overnight through the Slovakian cities of Kúty and Malacky, before finally arriving in Bratislava just after 1 a.m. the following morning. The return journey would have similar departure and arrival times.

The approval for the route is still pending amid infrastructure-related issues. If granted the green light, the launch is anticipated to occur sometime between late 2024 and early 2025.

The Czech rail firm already offers routes to Bratislava, Košice, and Prešov – the three largest cities in Slovakia. However, it does not currently offer any western-bound services that reach the likes of Germany.

Leo Express won’t be the first company that offers a direct rail connection between Czechia and Belgium. Train company European Sleeper will in March this year launch a new service that will connect Prague with Brussels and Amsterdam, with sleeper beds and couchettes on-board too. 

The European Sleeper service will also run through Dresden, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam, and also connects the northern Czech cities of Ústí nad Labem and Děčín with the Netherlands and Germany.