The government has approved an action plan to improve rail safety, focusing on eight priority areas, including wider deployment of the European Train Control System (ETCS) and the GSM-R radio network. The plan responds to two major rail accidents in October and November.
ETCS will be installed on eight track sections between 2029–2034 at a cost of €1.36 billion, with another five sections to receive ETCS during modernisation works in 2031–2034, worth nearly €5 billion. Currently, ETCS covers 220 kilometres, or 29 percent of Slovakia’s TEN-T network. More than 200 train engines will also need ETCS units, estimated at €170 million. Expansion of the GSM-R system, planned for 2027–2030, will cost over €77 million.
Additional measures include installing cameras in locomotive cabs and monitoring drivers’ working hours. Around 400 cameras and docking stations at 28 depots will cost about €400,000, helping prevent accidents and document driver actions.
Source: TASR
