Flixbus asserts its rail ambitions in Germany with the 65 high-speed trains for its subsidiary FlixTrain. Valued at 2.4 billion euros, the contract will be divided between the carriages assembled by the Spanish company Talgo and the locomotives produced by the German manufacturer Siemens. The contract also provides for the maintenance of the Talgo 230 trainsets for a period of 15 years. Delivery will take place by the end of the decade, although the long-distance coach specialist has not yet announced when the first trains will enter service. " We are targeting a high-frequency network in Germany and are also planning to offer FlixTrain in other countries "However, Flixbus made this clear in its press release. If connections with neighbouring countries are envisaged, France is not one of the priorities because of the obstacles to opening up to competition of this market and the weight of tolls. European expansion is planned in Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden where Flixtrain has already operated trains.
Repeating the success of low-cost buses
By attacking the high-speed rail market between Germany's major cities with a low-cost offer - the equivalent of Ouigo in France and Spain, Flixtrain aims to challenge Deutsche Bahn which until now has been its preserve. Created in 2018, the young rail operator is currently only present in Germany on regional routes such as Berlin-Hamburg, Frankfurt-Stuttgart, Cologne-Hamburg and Berlin-Cologne. Flixtrain's new TGVs have plenty of capacity but are also comfortable, equipped with efficient Wi-Fi and, above all, offer an easy way to book tickets online at attractive prices. Flixtrain aims to appeal to different target groups, including young people, families and the general public. business travellers. Flixtrain is also banking on the growth of the high-speed rail market in Germany, where passenger numbers are expected to increase by 45% between 2020 and 2030. André Schwämmlein, the co-founder and CEO of the Flix Group, has announced " With Flixtrain, we are pursuing a long-term strategy and will be expanding our services considerably over the coming years. With the expansion of our train fleet, we are ushering in a new era of rail travel in Germany and Europe. We plan not only to increase our market share, but also to significantly develop the market itself. ".
