Raz: Construction of Zilina Railway Node a Year Behind Schedule

Zilina, April 15 (TASR) - The construction of the Zilina railway node will be completed in late 2025 or early 2026, Lubomir Gono of Strabag declared during an inspection of construction works, attended by Transport Minister Jozef Raz (Smer-SD nominee), on Monday. Originally, the construction project worth €330 million, one of the largest investments into railway infrastructure, was slated to be finished in late 2024. The project, however, has fallen into arrears because of the Covid-19 pandemic, problems with supplies of materials and the war in Ukraine. According to minister Raz, the project, once complete, will significantly facilitate and speed up railway transport in the region. "Works have been going well. What was problematic was the property settlement. But the contracts have already been drafted, signed and, in case nothing surprises us, everything will be concluded successfully within a short time," added the minister. The length of Zilina railway node measures about 14 kilometres in the east-west direction and 2.3 kilometres north-south. Financed under the EU funds, the project was originally supposed to cost €320 million, with the contract signed back in November 2020. The contractor is the Pod Dubnom Association, headed by Strabag. mf