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RegioJet

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RegioJet a.s.
Company typeJoint-stock company
IndustryRail transport
Founded2009[1]
Headquarters
Brno
,
Czech Republic
Area served
Czech Republic, Slovakia
Key people
Radim Jančura,
Jiří Schmidt
ServicesRail passenger transport
RevenueIncrease 719 mil. Kč (2015)[2]
−5,696,000 Czech koruna (2016) Edit this on Wikidata
Increase 35 mil. Kč (2015)[2]
Total assetsIncrease 807 mil. Kč (2015)[2]
Total equityIncrease 216 mil. Kč (2015)[2]
Number of employees
Increase 496 (2017)
ParentRegioJet holding Edit this on Wikidata
Websitewww.regiojet.com

RegioJet a.s. (VKM: RJ)[3] is a private Czech provider of passenger rail and bus transport. The company Student Agency, owned by Czech businessman Radim Jančura, is the sole owner. A sister company of the same name, with its registered office in Bratislava, is an operator of passenger rail and bus transport in Slovakia.

The company operates bus routes around the Czech Republic, Slovakia and to another 90 cities throughout Europe,[4] and operates rail routes around the Czech Republic, Slovakia and operate routes to other European cities, such as Vienna.[5]

History

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The company began to operate regular bus transport under the brand Student Agency in 2004, having operated international bus transport from 1996.

On 24 February 2006, Student Agency was recognised in the TTG Travel Awards of 2005 as “Best flight (IATA) agency in the Czech Republic” and “Best bus transporter”. In the same year, CEO Radim Jančura expressed his intention to extend Student Agency's bus transport within 3 years and to also become a provider of rail.

The company RegioJet a.s. was incorporated in the Companies Register on 20 March 2009 with the subject of enterprise “production, business and services not stated in attachments 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act” and on 6 October 2009 the subject of activity “operator of railway and railway transport” was registered. A sister company of the same name, RegioJet a.s., with its registered office in Bratislava was established in 2010 and is nowadays an operator of rail and bus transport in Slovakia.

Occasional public rail transport under the brand RegioJet was operated for the first time on 24 April 2010. The operation of the first railway line of regular passenger transport began on 26 September 2011.

In 2016, bus transport, still under the Student Agency brand, was incorporated under the RegioJet brand for the first time.[6] The decision to include bus transport under the marketing brand RegioJet, which was originally used only for rail transport, originated especially because of the company's interest to unify all transport activities under one brand and also because of the lack of understanding especially for foreign clients – the history of Student Agency was not as well known abroad, so the name appeared to be incomprehensible and impractical for a transport company.[7][8] The Slovak company RegioJet had started to operate bus transport under the brand RegioJet even earlier, since February 2015.

Bus transport

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Student Agency Bus

SInce 1996, Student Agency operated international bus transport – the first line was from Prague to London, and in the following years buses operated to other European countries, including cities in Germany, Switzerland, Benelux, lines connecting the Czech Republic with cities in Sweden, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Austria and the Slovak Republic, and later in France and elsewhere.[9][10]

Since 2004, the company Student Agency has operated as a transporter on domestic lines in the Czech Republic. Within the Czech Republic, yellow buses started on the route Prague - Brno for the first time in January 2004, and other lines soon followed. The lines of these yellow buses connected Prague and Brno with 36 cities in the Czech Republic.

On 4 April 2016, the rebranding of bus transport was started in the Czech Republic, as the name Student Agency was considered to be incomprehensible outside of the Czech Republic.[6]

Fleet

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In the early stages, during the operator's time as Student Agency, bus transport was provided by vehicles of Spanish brand Ayats Atlantis on the MAN chassis. Afterwards, the company started to use Spanish Beulas buses on the Scania and Volvo chassis. In 2006, the company further invested into five Mercedes-Benz Travego buses, particularly for lines heading to Vienna.

In 2012, the fleet owned by the company amounted to approximately 110 buses, out of which 5 were of a white colour, as the company operated them on the routes between Prague – Nuremberg and Prague – Munich on behalf of Deutsche Bahn, with the other vehicles painted in a noticeable yellow colour.

In 2013, the size of the fleet had increased to 152 buses. The most common type was the Spanish Irizar PB on the Scania or Volvo chassis – the company owned 93 of the type, out of which 67 were equipped with Fun & Relax equipment.

In April 2016, 45 super modern Irizar i8 buses of the newest generation arrived as part of the company's fleet. The first of these buses were introduced on the route between Prague – Dresden – Berlin. The number of buses operating under the brand RegioJet grew to reach 210 as a result of the new vehicles.[6]

Rail transport

[edit]

In 2006, Student Agency began to consider operating rail transport. The intention was to start with trains on the Prague-Ostrava route which would compete with the EC/IC trains and SC Pendolino from state-owned operator České dráhy.[11] In June 2007, owner Radim Jančura announced that a tender procedure for a producer was underway. The transport was meant to be cheaper and more luxurious than the Pendolino from České dráhy, with a design resembling the ICE 3 trains operating in Germany.

In March 2009, the subsidiary company RegioJet a.s. was incorporated. The first train started on 24 April 2010 within the advertising event Žluté jaro na železnici (“Yellow spring on the railway”). The price of a return ticket between any stations was a symbolic CZK 5. This advertising operation was described by a representative of the company as the following: “We want to show how modern vehicles can contribute to the simplification and improvement of transport service”.[12]

In the following years, the company participated in selection procedures, submitted offers for operating subsidised transport to various regions and the Ministry of Transport and negotiated with these regions.

Routes

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Connection map for long-distance trains. RegioJet services shown in yellow-gold.
RegioJet
Legend
Intercity Services
km
0
 Praha hl.n.
104
 Pardubice hl.n.
164
 Česká Třebová
204
 Zábřeh na Moravě
250
 Olomouc hl.n.
301
 Hranice na Moravě
351
 Ostrava-Svinov
356
 Ostrava hl.n.
358
 Ostrava-Stodolní
374
 Havířov
393
 Český Těšín
400
 Třinec
401
 Třinec centrum
407
 Bystřice
426
Czech Republic
Slovakia
border
431
 Čadca
451
 Kysucké Nové Mesto
461
 Žilina

Prague – Ostrava – Havířov – Žilina (SK) – Košice (SK) – Humenné (SK) Route

[edit]

Since 26 September 2011, RegioJet has operated, at its own business risk, regular rail transport without an order from the Ministry of Transport, only receiving compensation for student and senior discounts from public funds.[13] The beginning of the operation was accompanied by great media coverage.[citation needed]

The company started with three pairs of lines between Prague and Havířov, and in December 2011 the trains also began operating in a regular two-hour interval to other stations in the Ostrava Region (Český Těšín, Třinec) and one pair of lines started to make its way to Žilina.

On 29 September 2011, state-owned operator České dráhy reduced some fares within the campaign ČD Promo, especially the full fare on the routes between Prague–Ostrava, Prague–Brno and Prague – Hradec Králové. The new fare price between Prague and Ostrava was similar to the price set by RegioJet. RegioJet declared this step as unfair competition and a misuse of the dominant position of České dráhy on the market.[14]

In December 2012, RegioJet announced a CZK 30 – 50 mil loss for 2012, which was justified according to the "predatory pricing" by České dráhy on the route between Prague-Ostrava.[15] Train occupancy was approximately 80%.[16] RegioJet blamed the pricing policy of České dráhy for its negative business results, and after raising a challenge before the Antitrust Authority, RegioJet decided to challenge České dráhy before the Court for this connection. The losses would be covered from other activities, as the whole Student Agency group showed gains of CZK 110 mil at earnings over CZK 1.6 billion.[17][18]

In October 2014, the operator introduced services on the Prague-Košice route, and in December 2015 the operation was enlarged with sleeping cars added.[19][20]

Bratislava (SK) – Dunajská Streda (SK) – Komárno (SK) Route

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On 27 December 2010, RegioJet acquired a nine-year contract with the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic to operate subsidised rail transport on the route between Bratislava – Dunajská Streda – Komárno, with service beginning on 4 March 2012. Before commencing transportation on this route, RegioJet reportedly invested approximately €60,000 into the modernisation of waiting shelters and other furniture at stations, as well as adding security cameras.[21] From 2019 until 2023,[22][23] this route has been returned to the national operator, ZSSK, who used Class 754s and ÖBB Class 2016s on this route. Since December of 2023, another Czech private carrier Leo Express has been running regular trains on this line[24]

Prague – Brno – Bratislava (SK) Route

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Since 11 December 2016, the company has launched trains on the Prague – Brno – Bratislava route. At present (since 2 September 2018), RegioJet trains run 4 times a day to Bratislava, and the other two lines on this route ensure transportation with the terminal in Brno.

Prague - Brno – Vienna (AT)

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Since December 2017, the transporter has cooperated with Graz-Köflacher Bahn und Busbetrieb GmbH to operates four pairs of trains from Prague through Brno to Vienna. The trains terminate at Wien Hauptbahnhof with an intermediate stop at Wien Simmering.[25]

R8 Line Brno - Přerov - Bohumín

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Regiojet also operates domestic long distance (Rychlík) trains between south Moravian city Brno, Moravian-Silesian cities Ostrava and Bohumín. However due to the monopoly Regiojet is having on this line the level of service tends to be lower in comparison to the others. Trains runs every hour in both directions, 17 times a day. Regiojet uses locomotives Siemens Vectron 193 or occasionally Bombardier Traxx 386 with 2x Low cost Bmpz (ex Swiss SBB Bpm), 2x 2 class Bmz + Bistro section (ex DB Bvcmbz249 couchettes) and 1x 1 class Amz (ex Swiss Am). The stops on the route are Brno Královo Pole - Brno hlavní nádraží (Brno main station) - Vyškov na Moravě (- Nezamyslice-only 2 trains -) - Kojetín - Přerov - Hranice na Moravě - Suchdol nad Odrou - Studénka - Ostrava Svinov - Ostrava hlavní nádraží (Ostrava main station) - Bohumín.

Praha - Bratislava - Budapest - Rijeka/Split

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In 2021 RegioJet launched a new seasonal line from Prague to Rijeka and Split in Croatia, dividing in Ogulin. The line only operates in the summer. In Croatia the train is pulled by Hžpp/Hž locomotives, usually two Hž 1141 from the border to Rijeka and two Hž 2044 from Ogulin to Split.[citation needed]

Ústí nad Labem services

[edit]

From December 2019, Regiojet will take over the 10 year tender for services U5, U7 and U13 in the Ústí nad Labem Region.[26]

Fares and service

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Initially RegioJet did not differentiate between classes, with seats in all coaches sold as second class. Later, the operator introduced four tariff zones on its commercial lines – the first and second tariff zone in two classes.

  • Low cost (no service): second class with a reduced fare (not guaranteed for all lines) - open space coach, no drawers, bottled water is included in the fare price and a daily newspaper is available.
  • Standard: second class – 6-person compartment, possibility of having a compartment for children and a quiet zone compartment, possibility of utilising the open space Astra coach with an entertainment programme in the in-built screens in each seat.
  • Relax: second class – open space coach, possibility for separate seats, large tables.

In both Standard and Relax classes, passengers receive a daily newspaper and magazines, coffee and bottled water free of charge and at the same time may order other paid-for snack items from an onboard menu.

  • Business: first class – compartment for 4 persons, possibility of a quiet zone compartment, free daily newspaper and economic magazines as well as coffee, cookies, high-quality teas, orange juice or Bohemia Sekt (sparkling wine).

An internet connection is available free of charge and the option to book a specific seat is available for all classes.

Rolling stock

[edit]

Locomotives

[edit]

In May 2010, the purchase of 9 Škoda Class E630 electric locomotives was announced.[27][28] They were sold to Ferrovie Nord Milano in the 1990s and had been modified according to the conditions of the Italian market. After the purchase, the locomotives were modified for operation in the Czech Republic; the gear ratio was changed in order to increase the maximum speed of 140 km/h.[27][29]

The newest additions to the locomotive fleet are fifteen Traxx locomotives, Class 388s, from the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier – they entered service between 2020 and 2021. RegioJet had a public survey as to which colour motif to use on the ends of their new Class 388s - the Red motif was chosen to be the most popular out of a choice of four.[30]

Coaches

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All of the transporter's coaches have the corporate yellow outer paint and blue-red logo of the name REGIOJET. In addition, there is signate to denote the class, respective fares and pictograms of the offered services close to the entrance door.

In June 2011, RegioJet purchased 14 used coaches from Austrian operator ÖBB, which had been previously reconstructed to reach speeds of 200 km/h and retrofitted with AC, vacuum toilets and power sockets.[31][32] They were transported to the Czech Republic in early June 2011 and late July 2011, before entering service in September 2011 having undergone a complete interior adjustment.[33][34] Another 14 coaches were purchased in July 2011.[35] All coaches (12 ABmz 61 81 30-90 coaches, 8 Ampz 61 81 18-91 coaches, 8 Bmz 61 81 21-90 coaches) were marked as second class by RegioJet, although for ÖBB these coaches and parts of the coaches of class A served as first class.[36] It was reported that in January 2014, RegioJet had purchased another 45 coaches of the same series from ÖBB, with 27 of them first class coaches.

In September 2014 at InnoTrans, the Slovak company Molpir, the supplier of the FUNTORO on-board entertainment system, introduced a high-capacity coach for RegioJet from Romanian manufacturer Astra Vagoane Călători. The coach was designed under cooperation with the interior studio Flagu-Coplass and architect Patrik Kotas [cs]. The coaches have seats from German company GRAMMER and feature a TV screen for each seat. Each coach costs approximately €1 mil. 10 coaches were ordered in total, to be put into operation in the following months.[37]

At the end of 2017, the transporter purchased 6 coaches from the bankrupt open-access operator Arenaways – they were manufactured in 2010 and operated for several months in Italy before being purchased by RegioJet. The company ordered another 10 Astra coaches from the Romanian producer.[38]

Diesel multiple units

[edit]

RegioJet uses 9 3-coach Bombardier Talent DMUs in Slovakia, leased from Alpha Trains.[39]

Regiojet rolling stock

[edit]
Class Type Picture Nickname Production Builder Note Route
162 98E Peršing (Persing) 1984–1992 Škoda Works Bought from Italy and rebuilt from class 163 to 162 to increase maximum speed Praha – Pardubice – Ostrava – Žilina – Košice
193(D) Vectron Garfield 2010–present Siemens Leased from European Locomotive Leasing (ELL) Bratislava – Košice,
Praha – Pardubice – Ostrava – Žilina – Košice,
Brno – Přerov – Ostrava – Bohumín
386 TRAXX TRAXX 2018 Bombardier Transportation

Praha – Vienna,
Praha – Pardubice – Ostrava – Žilina – Košice,
Brno – Přerov – Ostrava – Bohumín

388 TRAXX TRAXX 2019 - 2020 Bombardier Transportation Praha – Vienna,
Praha – Pardubice – Ostrava – Žilina – Košice,
Brno – Přerov – Ostrava – Bohumín
642(D) Desiro Siemens Leased; lease ended in 2020 Bratislava – Dunajská Streda – Komárno
643(D) Talent 1994–present Bombardier Leased from Alpha Trains; lease ended in 2020 Bratislava – Dunajská Streda – Komárno
721 T 458.1 Velký Hektor (Big Hector) 1961 – 1971 ČKD Only 721.151, repair in Nymburk In depot of RJ → Prague
654 Elf.eu 2021 - 2022 Pesa Regional lines in Ústí nad Labem region
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References

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  1. ^ Commercial register at justice.cz, identification number (IČ) 28333187
  2. ^ a b c d Annual report of RegioJet, a.s. for calendar year 2015
  3. ^ "Vehicle Keeper Marking Register (VKM)". European Union Agency for Railways. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  4. ^ "RADIM JANČURA oficiálně představil novou marketingovou značku RegioJet". BUSportal. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  5. ^ "Railway Gazette: Slovak passenger market starts to open". Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  6. ^ a b c "RADIM JANČURA oficiálně představil novou marketingovou značku RegioJet". BUSportál. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Značka Student Agency u autobusů končí, Jančura mění název na RegioJet". E15.
  8. ^ "Slavné autobusy Student Agency skončí. Jančura je přejmenuje na RegioJet". Lidovky. 6 November 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Připravované mezinárodní linky Student Agency na rok 2008". BUSportal. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  10. ^ "Vyhledání podle dopravců, Student Agency k.s". portál IDOS. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  11. ^ "Jančura: Náš vlak bude hezčí než pendolino". idnes. 7 April 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2006.
  12. ^ "Žluté vlaky vyjedou poprvé na kozí dráhu. Za pětikorunu". idos. 11 April 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  13. ^ "Stát zavedením konkurence ČD neušetří. Slevy musí proplácet všem". idnes. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  14. ^ "České dráhy výrazně zlevnily, srovnaly ceny s RegioJetem". iDnes. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  15. ^ "České dráhy výrazně zlevnily, srovnaly ceny s RegioJetem". zpravy.tiscali.cz. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  16. ^ "Tři dopravci se na trati Praha Ostrava nemohou udržet, míní Jančura". Novinky.cz. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  17. ^ "RegioJet loni prohloubil ztrátu na 76 milionů korun". Deník.cz. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  18. ^ "RegioJet bude žalovat ČD kvůli nízkým cenám o 270 mil. Kč". zpravy.tiscali.cz. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  19. ^ [1] Archived 23 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Noční vlaky RegioJet mezi Prahou a Košicemi využilo za první čtvrtletí provozu téměř 43 tisíc cestujících, Regiojet, 22 January 2010
  20. ^ "RegioJet posílí své vlakové spoje z Prahy do Košic. Příští rok chce počet cestujících zdvojnásobit". byznys.iHned.cz. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  21. ^ "RegioJet investoval 60 tisíc EUR do modernizace zastávek na trati Bratislava – Dunajská Streda". Student Agency. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  22. ^ Aktuality.sk (9 December 2023). "Medzi Bratislavou a Komárnom začne od nedele jazdiť Leo Express". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  23. ^ SYMBIO, Leo Express &. "Leo Express™". www.leoexpress.com (in Slovak). Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  24. ^ SYMBIO, Leo Express &. "Leo Express™". www.leoexpress.com (in Slovak). Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  25. ^ "Z Prahy a Brna do Vídně vlaky RegioJet". RegioJet. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  26. ^ Sůra, Jan (13 July 2019). "Místo žlutých vlaků zelené. RegioJet ukázal podobu souprav pro Ústecký kraj". zdopravy.cz. Archived from the original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  27. ^ a b "Jančura koupil devět lokomotiv, od března chce konkurovat drahám". ekonomika.idnes.cz. 18 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  28. ^ "Railway Gazette: RegioJet launches its yellow spring trains". Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  29. ^ "RegioJet koupil 9 peršingů a chystá komerční spoje". ŽelPage. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  30. ^ "Register". Retrieved 22 August 2023 – via Facebook.
  31. ^ "ÖBB rozdaly karty: ojetiny pro ČD i RegioJet dorazily do Česka". ŽelPage. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  32. ^ "ÖBB passenger cars for RegioJet delivered on June 5, 2011".
  33. ^ "Jančura má v Česku první vagony: ojeté z Rakouska". ekonomika.idnes.cz. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  34. ^ Jan Sůra, České koleje zežloutly. Jančurův vlak poprvé vyjel, iDNES, 25. srpna 2011
  35. ^ "Jančura by vás vozil Hurvínkem, straší kraj cestující. Další tendry na železnici neplánuje". byznys.ihned.cz. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  36. ^ "vagonWEB". Osobní vozy RegioJet. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  37. ^ "Jančura v Berlíně ukázal nový vagon. Jezdit bude na rakouské papíry". iDNES (in Czech). 23 September 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  38. ^ "RegioJet nakoupil další vozy v Itálii, přestaví je v Rumunsku". zdopravy.cz. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  39. ^ "Slovensko je pre RegioJet skúškou". ekonomika.sme.sk. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
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