Czech Railways (ČD) and Slovakia’s national rail carrier, ZSSK, have said journey times between Prague and Kosice will be reduced by almost an hour with the introduction of a new Pendolino service.
Currently it takes around eight hours and 20 minutes via the Eurocity Košičan from Prague to Kosice and an additional five minutes on top of that for the return journey.
By utilising the Pendolino’s tilting mechanism and higher average speed, ČD has said journey times will be cut to around seven and a half hours when the new timetable comes into operation at the end of the year.
The SuperCity (SC) Pendolino service, which will be operated by seven-car ČD Class 680 units, will stop at Olomouc and Ostrava in the Czech Republic and Zilina and Poprad in Slovakia.
SC Pendolino trains previously operated between the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 2006 and 2009, and in the 2010/11 timetable, ČD and ZSSK launched a new service between Prague and Bratislava.
