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Leo Express

Leo Express was established in 2010, started as private open-access railway company in November 2012 connecting the Czech cities of Prague and Ostrava.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Daniel Braun (Cabinet of Commissioner Věra Jourová)

23 Nov 2017 · Introduction of the comppany, EU activities, open data

Response to Recast of Regulation (EC) 1371/2007 on rail passengers' rights and obligations

22 Nov 2017

LEO Express welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to strengthen protection of rail passengers in the EU. However, LEO Express indicates some issues should be reconsidered, mainly on the issue of availability of data and combined journeys. Passengers should have right to integrated, pan-European rail ticketing. Technical interoperability should be mandated so that cross-border, combined journeys across multiple operators are easily possible. Without that, the creation of the Single European Rail Area would not be possible. Today, there is a possibility to sell the so called “through-tickets” - tickets across multiple rail operators that consists of only one transport contract. Unfortunately, for many cross-border rail links, through-tickets are not mandated. State-owned rail incumbents mostly only sell their tickets on their own trains. Modernizing and simplifying consumer rules and ticketing for online and digital purchases is only possible way to attract more passenger to use rail and more frequently. Solution is in what we call “combined journeys” - ticket or tickets representing more than one transport contract for successive railway services operated by one or several railway undertakings. The experience for the passenger is just like a through-ticket. To ensure the function of combined journeys, railway undertakings should cooperate with ticket vendors, provide them with information and use open data. The current proposal fails to explicitly oblige RUs to provide third parties selling its tickets with data about all available rail options. LEO Express supports in general following rights to be included the upcoming EU rail passenger rights revision: 1. The right to integrated, pan-European rail ticketing - operators are part of an integrated EU-wide rail system, supported by taxpayer funding. Technical interoperability should be mandated so that cross-border, combined journeys across multiple operators are easily possible. 2. The right of access to all available rail options. This entails mandatory data sharing by operators (‘Open Data’) and impartial retail by ticket vendors. 3. The right to catch the next available train service in the event of travel disruptions, i.e. if there is a missed connection, regardless whether booking is a ‘through-ticket’ (one transport contract for the one-way journey) or a ‘combined journey’ (2+ ticket contracts for the one-way journey) Please find enclose proposition of amendments of articles in attached file.
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Response to Access to service facilities and rail-related services

17 Aug 2017

Access to service facilities and rail-related services Public consultation LEO Express welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to introduce transparent access conditions with the goal to optimise use of service facilities for all railway undertakings. However, LEO Express indicates following issues should be reconsidered. Generally - Article 2. Exemptions o European Commission introduces the possibility for service facilities to request exemptions to Regulatory Bodies on “all or some” provisions of the implementing act. This is unacceptable, because it could lead to major inconsistencies and loopholes. Exemptions should only concern specific provisions, which are not discrimination-sensitive (e.g. article 12 or 15). o There should not be the possibility to exempt service facilities or services which are operated or provided in a competitive market environment. Even in competitive market environment, railway undertakings can face discriminations. o It should be also clear that exemptions should be granted individually on case by case basis and should not concern types of facilities. o Regulatory Bodies should not have the option to exempt operators of service facilities under the direct or indirect control of a controlling entity, holding a dominant position in the relevant part of national rail transport market. - Article 3. Additional Information o Sec. 6. possible restriction of services due to “opening hours” - Article 6. Additional information o LEO Express suggests to delete “upon request” in the paragraph 3. If the “upon request” stays in the regulation, it would mean that service facility operators are not obliged to provide the information on the available capacity, which could be used as a delaying tactic as well. Publicizing available capacity is a necessity to ensure the optimum use of the facility. - Article 7. Coordination on allocation of service facility capacity and its use o LEO Express also proposes to delete the words “where necessary” in paragraph 2 as it could create unwanted loopholes. - Article 8. Requests for access to service facilities and use of rail related services o Facility operators shouldn’t be left to decide whether an applicant can request services or not. It could add new barriers to the market, so LEO Express proposes to delete the reference to “service facility operator” in paragraph 1. - Art. 10. Coordination procedure o Sec. 4: condition of real competences of the regulatory body - Art. 11: Priority criteria o does not take in account priority criteria for allocation of capacity - Art. 12: Viable alternatives o does presume agreement of operator of a service facility and applicant LEO Express is also concerned to see that the articles on accounting separation and on the independence requirements for service facility operators disappeared from the new draft version of the implementing act. LEO Express considers accounting separation to be a basic requirement which will help to avoid cross-subsidisation. The organisational requirements for facilities can also have an important impact on the access (e.g. discrimination or refuse to grant access). LEO Express strongly proposes to reintroduce the two articles into the draft proposal.
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Meeting with Jocelyn Fajardo (Cabinet of Commissioner Violeta Bulc)

25 Jan 2016 · Rail liberalisation and complaints