FlixBus, which operates long-distance train services in Germany in competition with DB under the name FlixTrain, has indefinitely suspended its plans to operate train services in France. The main reason for this is the cost of using the rail network in France. It was planned to run some long-distance trains in France from 2021, such as Paris-Bordeaux, Paris-Brussels, Paris-Lyon, Paris-Toulouse and a night train between Nice and Paris.
FlixTrain has been operating in Germany for several years as part of FlixMobility and has a partnership with a subsidiary of the Czech company Leo Express to operate the train service. Nevertheless, Flixtrain will expand abroad and will also be active on the Swedish market from next month. From May 6, FlixTrain will provide daily train journeys between the two largest Swedish cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg. Expanding to Sweden was already on the agenda last year, but was postponed.
Flixtrain has no concrete plans to expand to the Netherlands as well. Within the Netherlands, NS has the exclusive right on the main rail network, but any company is allowed to start a cross-border connection. Such a connection may also transport domestic travelers, provided that this is not the largest group of travelers. Flixtrain is a German open-access operator of long-distance rail services. It is a subsidiary of the long-distance bus operator Flixbus and supplements the bus network of its parent company with rail connections.
Also read: According to FNV, Flixbus will close all agreements in Eurolines Netherlands
