The most extensive investment by the rail-infrastructure operator ZSR in the Zilina hub, northern Slovakia, is proceeding according to plan. It should be finished in 2025. Around €140 million has been spent to date on the project of rail-infrastructure operator ZSR, Lubomir Gono, the head the construction contractor said during the inspection day in Zilina. ZSR general director Miloslav Havrila stated that almost 50 kilometres of tracks will be replaced, 191 new switches will be installed and a complete new traction line will be installed on the approximately 23-kilometre track section. Earlier this week, the Slovak Railway Carrier Association (AROS) and Czech Railways (CD) have pointed to the poor state of Slovakia's railway infrastructure, calling on state-owned railway infrastructure operator ZSR to remedy the situation immediately.
As a result of the critical condition of Slovak tracks and switches, a Czech passenger express was derailed in Zilina in early March 2023, prompting a critical reaction from Czech Railways. Meanwhile, AROS general manager Patrik Benka pointed to other issues caused by the poor state of railway infrastructure. "Let us remind you of the consequences of the critical condition of 'our' tracks - the bypassing of Slovakia by transit freight trains, the distribution of goods from Vienna to customers in western Slovakia by lorries instead of transport by train to the terminal in Dunajska Streda," he noted.
ZSR spokeswoman Ria Feik Achbergerova told TASR that the company is aware of the state of affairs, adding that it is a well-known fact that ZSR has been underfinanced by the state, with approximately €33 million needed for deferred maintenance for 2023 alone. "This money is not for 'modernisation' but to eliminate the undesirable condition that we are experiencing every year due to underfunding," said Achbergerova. ZSR hopes that by appealing to the relevant authorities, such events will not occur in the future with the help of additional funding.
Source: RTVS, TASR
