RegioJet recorded a 12% increase in the number of passengers in the first half of 2019. The operator carried 3.1 million passengers in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria. Overall, about a quarter of a million new passengers used RegioJet trains during the first half of the year than in the same period last year.
“More passengers are using our trains, so we are investing heavily in the development of our fleet. Occupancy of our trains has been growing, and our trains have become the first choice for customers also on the lines from Prague to Brno, Bratislava and Vienna. Therefore, we are currently preparing the acquisition of up to one hundred more cars, so that we can further increase our capacities,” said Petr Kohoutek, CFO of Student Agency Holding, to which RegioJet belongs.
RegioJet will use the funds raised from the recent successful bond issue to expand its fleet capacities and support further growth. In June, RegioJet managed to sell bonds in financial value reaching nearly CZK 1 billion (EUR 40 million).
The operator has already started to fulfill its investment plans for the acquisition of additional vehicles. Last week it bought 18 couchette cars from Deutsche Bahn, which will be used on Prague – Kosice route. These are air-conditioned railway cars for speed of 200 km/h with a closed toilet system and suitable interiors that require minimal adjustments to be put into operation as soon as possible.
In the coming weeks, the night trains Košice – Prague and back should start regularly to operate in train sets of up to 18 cars and offer significantly higher capacity reaching 1000 passengers per one train.
For this purpose, the RegioJet locomotive fleet has also been extended by another Siemens Vectron locomotive, which is necessary for carriage of heavy trains with 18 cars through the High Tatra mountains region in Slovakia.
Part of the newly acquired cars are also fully adapted for wheelchair passengers, as they have a wider entrance door and a corridor, a special wheelchair compartment and toilette.
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