Pork chop and beef prices jump by 40 crowns on Czech Railways trains

Czech Railways (ČD) has raised prices for meals in its dining cars — lunch on board now costs passengers almost as much as at a regular restaurant. According to the carrier, a three-course seasonal menu — featuring garlic cream soup, beef bourguignon with gratin potatoes and cottage cheese cheesecake for dessert — now costs 459 crowns.

The main course alone will set you back 309 crowns. A chicken chop with potato salad or Czech-style beef with dumplings both cost 249 crowns — the same price as vegetable kung pao with rice or veal with lentil salad. Back in spring last year, both the chop and the Czech-style beef cost 209 crowns, meaning the price has climbed by 40 crowns.

Goulash now costs 85 crowns, while a can of the seasonal Baltic Express Hazy Pale Ale beer goes for 89 crowns. Draft Pilsner Urquell (0.5 l) will cost 65 crowns, a can of Gambrinus is 49 crowns, and two deciliters of wine cost 109 crowns. Espresso is priced at 55 crowns, with cappuccino ten crowns more. Meals on ČD trains are served on porcelain crockery in dining cars or bistro coaches, though if all seats are taken, passengers can arrange with staff to have their dish brought to their own seat.

How competitors are responding

Rival operators RegioJet and Leo Express have taken a different approach. Stewards bring food directly to passengers' seats, much like on a plane, and RegioJet recently introduced the option to order through its mobile app across all service classes. "The personal service remains fully in place — our stewards still walk through the carriages, take orders and serve passengers," said RegioJet customer service manager Šárka Randáková.

RegioJet's menu includes Kysucká-style lentils for 99 crowns, Indian-style chicken with rice for 69 crowns, a pulled beef burrito at the same price, and a sushi set for 90 crowns. The carrier also draws customers with cheap beer: bottled Pilsner is 25 crowns, while an 11-degree Holba Šerák costs 15 crowns. Desserts range from 10 to 35 crowns, and soups — kulajda and tomato with thyme — are 39 crowns each. Compared to last autumn's price list, the prices themselves haven't changed, only the selection has been updated.

Leo Express keeps its prices roughly in the middle between the two competitors, with the offer varying slightly depending on the route. In premium-class carriages, passengers receive a complimentary drink, light snack or hot meal depending on the length of the journey. A Dutch-style chop with mashed potatoes costs 169 crowns, gnocchi with sun-dried tomato pesto is 159 crowns, and salmon teriyaki poke goes for 139 crowns. A Caesar wrap will cost 69 crowns, a hot dog 25 crowns, espresso 39 crowns, and cappuccino 59 crowns — the same price as on Czech Railways.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz