Rail transport in Slovakia

The ŽSR railway network.

A train of Railways of the Slovak Republic

Rail transport in Slovakia began on 21 September 1840, with the opening of the first horse-powered line from Bratislava to Svätý Jur (at that time in Kingdom of Hungary). The first steam-powered line, from Bratislava to Vienna, opened on 20 August 1848.

The modern Železnice Slovenskej republiky company was established in 1993 as a successor of the Československé státní drahy in Slovakia. Until 1996 it had formal monopoly on railroad transportation in the country, which remained a de facto monopoly until the advent of private operators entering the network in the early 2010s. Private passenger service operators include RegioJet, which operate trains between Prague (Czech Republic) and Košice, Žilina and Košice, Žilina and Bratislava and on the Komárno - Dunajská Streda - Bratislava route. There are plans to win more tenders in Slovakia.

Since 2002 a law divided the company: ŽSR was left with infrastructure maintenance and passenger and cargo transport was moved into company "Železničná spoločnosť, a. s." (ZSSK). In 2005 this new company was further split into "Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a. s." (ZSSK) providing Passenger transport services and "Železničná spoločnosť Cargo Slovakia, a. s." (ZSSK Cargo) providing cargo services. Freight transport is operated by ZSCS and around 30 private companies.

Slovakia is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Slovakia is 56.

Companies

A train of RegioJet

• Železnice Slovenskej republiky (ŽSR) - state-owned railway infrastructure operator in Slovakia
• RegioJet - private passenger railway operator
• LEO Express - private passenger railway operator
• Arriva - private passenger railway operator
• Čierny Hron Railway (ČHŽ) - 760 mm (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in) narrow gauge heritage railway owned by villages on the ČHŽ lines
• The Historical Logging Switchback Railway in Vychylovka (HLÚŽ or OKLŽ) - a 760 mm (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in) narrow gauge heritage railway owned by the Museum of Kysuce
• Nitra Agricultural Museum Railway (NPŽ) - 760 mm (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in) narrow gauge railway
• Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko a. s. (ZSSK) - state-owned passenger train Operator
• Železničná spoločnosť Cargo Slovakia a. s.(ZSSK Cargo or ZSCS) - state-owned freight train Operator

Statistics

Data taken from Year bulletin of ŽSR 2006 (in Slovak)

• Total length of lines: 3,658 km (2,273 mi)
  • Single track: 2,639 km (1,640 mi)
  • Double or more track: 1,019 km (633 mi)
• 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) broad gauge: 99 km (62 mi)
• 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge: 3,509 km (2,180 mi)
• Narrow gauge: 50 km (31 mi)
  • 45 km (28 mi) of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge; 5 km (3.1 mi) of 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge)
• Electrified: 1,577 km (980 mi)

As of December 31, 2010

• 75 tunnels measuring 43.228 kilometers
• 2321 railway bridges measuring 52.154 kilometers
• 8529 railroad switches

Rail links to adjacent countries

• Same gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
  • Austria — voltage change 25 kV AC/15 kV AC
  • Czech Republic — same voltage 3 kV DC or 25 kV AC
  • Hungary — same voltage 25 kV AC
  • Poland — same voltage 3 kV DC
• Break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in)
  • Ukraine — voltage 3 kV DC

See also

• History of rail transport in Slovakia
• Slovak rail border crossings
• Slovenská strela
• Track gauge in Slovakia
• Transport in Slovakia
• Uzhhorod - Košice broad gauge track