According to preliminary non-audited results, pre-tax profits are expected to reach nearly Koruna 100m, a new record.
“Rail transport is a highly promising field of our business,” says Mr Radím Jančura, owner of RegioJet. “Our trains are profitable on all the lines - including the newly established open access services on the Prague - Brno - Vienna route. We launched these services in December 2017, and after only one year the economy is profitable. Thanks to fair prices and better services, we managed to attract hundreds of thousands of new passengers to trains connecting Prague, Brno and Vienna.”
RegioJet carried 5.9 million passengers on its long-distance services in 2018, an increase of 1.2 million passengers, which is largely attributed to the introduction of the new Prague - Vienna services.
In Slovakia, RegioJet carried 3.8 million passengers on its Bratislava - Komarno regional services, a 1.2 million year-on-year increase.
Ridership growth is reflected in increasing fares revenues, which reached Koruna 1.5bn last year.
The train fleet expanded last year with the addition of four new Bombardier Traxx multi-system electric locomotives and new coaches from Romanian supplier Astra.
RegioJet plans to invest Koruna 1bn in the fleet over the next 2-3 years to increase capacity in line with rising demand.
PSO contracts
RegioJet was also successful in securing contracts for the operation of Public Service Obligation (PSO) services in the Czech Republic.
The operator says its contract to operate Line R8 (Brno - Přerov - Ostrava/Bohumín) services from December will generate nearly €9m in savings for the Czech government over the eight-year term of the agreement.
RegioJet will also take over the operation of regional passenger services on several routes in the Ústí nad Labem region in December.
