The Munich-based bus startup FlixBus, together with the Czech company Leo Express, is taking over the insolvent train operator Locomore and is considering a new brand name.
Locomore has operated a private rail service between Berlin and Stuttgart since December 2016. The company had previously raised more than half a million euros on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. However, in May, the company had to file for bankruptcy and ceased train service at the beginning of August.
Now Leo Express, which already successfully operates several routes in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is taking over the operation of Locomore. FlixBus will handle marketing, ticket sales, and customer service for Locomore. Business Week says FlixBus founder André Schwämmlein:
“Together we want to make the Locomore train a success.”
A partnership with Leo Express has existed since 2015.
Compensation for crowdfunders
Train service between Berlin and Stuttgart is scheduled to resume as early as August 24. Trains will then run four to five times a week between Berlin and Stuttgart, with stops in Frankfurt and Hanover, among other places. The first ten thousand tickets are available at a special price of €9.90, with some sections starting at just €5.
“We believe that train and long-distance bus complement each other well,”
says little sponge to the Mirror.
“The Locomore trains are almost as fast as the ICE, so significantly faster than buses.”
Der Spiegel also reports that FlixBus plans to offer free rides to crowdfunders and customers affected by the insolvency.
Is FlixTrain coming soon?
A detail reported by Wirtschaftswoche is interesting for the bus company's future direction. According to the report, FlixBus has founded a new company specifically for its move to rail: FlixTrain. Before considering the next steps, FlixBus wants to make the train company successful. Schwämmlein says:
“If things go well and we see a future in the market, then we might expand our rail business.”
The Locomore brand name will apparently remain for the time being. However, Schwämmlein also says:
“I do not guarantee the name will last forever,”
and further:
“FlixTrain would be an alternative, but nothing has been decided.”
