The Czech private rail operator Leo Express has stopped its direct trains from Frankfurt to Prague and on to Poland, only a few months after the service began. The Frankfurter Rundschau reports that no trains have run on the route since Monday, 5 October, and the company blames ongoing construction work on the German rail network.
What happened
Leo Express launched the direct service in July 2026. It linked Frankfurt with Prague and continued to PrzemyÅ›l in south-eastern Poland. According to the Frankfurter Rundschau, the company has now withdrawn it because of persistent building work and planned line closures (Streckensperrungen) on Germany’s railways. Leo Express says these made it impossible to keep a stable timetable or run a regular service.
In an official statement quoted by the newspaper, Leo Express said: “Operating with timetables that change practically every day, line closures and diversions cannot be sustained in the long term.”
The route had been one of the cheaper direct links between Frankfurt and Central and Eastern Europe. Passengers could board at Frankfurt Südbahnhof (Frankfurt South station, in Sachsenhausen) or at the Fernbahnhof (long-distance station) at Frankfurt Airport, as well as at Hanau, Offenbach and Fulda. Trains ran without a change of train via Dresden to Prague and then via Ostrava to Przemyśl. The Frankfurter Rundschau notes that Economy Class tickets to the Czech capital were offered from 10 euros.
The company has decided not to run the route again this year. It has not dropped it altogether, however. Leo Express told the paper it is in talks with Deutsche Bahn (DB), the state-owned company that manages most of Germany’s rail network, about future Fahrplanlagen. These are the timetable slots that give an operator the right to run its trains on the tracks at set times. The aim is to offer more reliable connections at a later date.
What it means for you
If you live in Frankfurt or the surrounding area and used Leo Express to reach Prague, Dresden, Ostrava or southern Poland, this direct option is gone for the rest of 2026. The stops affected include:
- Frankfurt Südbahnhof
- Frankfurt Airport long-distance station (Fernbahnhof)
- Hanau
- Offenbach
- Fulda
If you have already booked a Leo Express ticket for a journey on or after 5 October, the Frankfurter Rundschau reports that you should not lose your money. Leo Express says its customer service will contact all affected passengers directly. Refunds (Fahrgelderstattung, the repayment of the fare) will follow the statutory rules on passenger rights.
In practical terms, residents with bookings should:
- Not go to the station expecting the train. No Leo Express trains have run on this route since 5 October.
- Look out for a message from Leo Express customer service. Check the email address and phone number you used when booking, including your spam folder.
- Keep your booking confirmation. You will need it when your refund is handled under the passenger rights rules.
- Plan a different way to travel if your trip to Prague or Poland is still going ahead, because the direct service will not return this year.
Leo Express has apologised to passengers for the inconvenience and for pulling out early, the newspaper reports.
What to watch next
Whether Leo Express trains will stop regularly at Frankfurt Südbahnhof again depends mainly on two things, according to the Frankfurter Rundschau: the result of the company’s talks with Deutsche Bahn about timetable slots, and how quickly the construction work on the German network moves forward.
No restart date has been given. If you often travel between Frankfurt and the Czech Republic or Poland, keep an eye on announcements from Leo Express about a possible return in a later year, and on news about the building work on the lines it used.
Source: Frankfurter Rundschau
Sources
- Frankfurter Rundschau: Privatanbieter schmeißt Frankfurt-Prag-Strecke hin – wegen deutschem Schienennetz, accessed 11 October 2026
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