Die Länderbahn to operate Munich–Prague trains until 2027
The Czech Republic and Bavaria will choose a carrier for the route from late 2027 in a joint tender procedure.
Die Länderbahn will continue to operate the railway service between Prague and Munich on Bavarian territory until 2027, the Bavarian railway authority (Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft, BEG) announced after it excluded Allegra, an ÖBB subsidiary, from the 2023–2027 operation tender. Die Länderbahn is owned by Netinera, an Italian state railways majority company.
The current carrier has long faced criticism that it cannot handle operation on the route. In recent weeks, Die Länderbahn has again cut several services, some of which do not originate in Munich. BEG has already decided that DB Regio will take over operation on the Munich–Regensburg–Hof section in late 2023. BEG hopes this will improve reliability, as delays will no longer be transferred from one line to another.
In the tender, BEG was looking to temporarily contract a carrier. In five years, trains on the route would be operated by a single carrier emerging from an open tender. According to an agreement between the Czech Ministry of Transport and BEG, both parties will respect the carrier of their choice on each other’s territory.
Edited and translated by Lucie Trávníčková