CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD and Open access company RegioJet have agreed to end all legal proceedings relating to a dispute about competition on the Praha – Ostrava line
Under the so-called Falcon Case, RegioJet had sought damages of up to KC717m, alleging that ČD had sought to undermine competition from commercially run trains on the country’s busiest long-distance route. The case alleged that ČD had been offering below-cost prices between September 26 2011 and April 30 2014.
The settlement announced on April 3 came after investigations by the European Commission and Czech anti-trust authority ÚOHS both found no evidence of a breach of competition rules.
The operators have agreed to end the court proceedings, and expressed hope that this would support the development of sustainable transport based on healthy competition by price and service quality.
A similar agreement over alleged predatory pricing on the same route was reached with open access operator Leo Express in July 2023.
