In a strategic move, Czech carrier RegioJet has decided to discontinue its seasonal Prague-Croatia railway service after a successful four-year run.
The company’s director, Radim Jančura, revealed that the shift is aimed at prioritizing year-round connections to Ukraine, as announced to Zdopravy.cz.
RegioJet plans to commence its service to Ukraine in January 2024 with an overnight service from Prague to Chop, utilizing a 37-kilometer standard gauge track from the border to Mukachevo.
The departure from Prague Main Station is scheduled for 21:38, reaching Chop at 10:35, and the return journey departing at 17:30, arriving in Prague at 05:07.
Despite discontinuing the trains to Croatia, RegioJet is set to enhance its bus services to the destination, with daily operations from Prague to Split throughout the summer of 2024.
This transformation began in the summer of 2023, as the company reduced trains to Croatia and redirected resources to the Ukrainian route.
It’s noteworthy that the introduction of a direct train from Prague to Croatia in 2020 was driven by the coronavirus epidemic’s severe air travel restrictions. The affordability of tickets and high passenger demand contributed to the popularity of this mode of travel.
In the absence of a license to operate in Ukraine, RegioJet’s new service to Chop will be a collaborative effort with Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia).
