KDH: Project of Using Broad-gage Line for Passenger Transport Waste of Money

Bratislava, March 28 (TASR) - The Christian Democrats (KDH) consider the project of ensuring public passenger rail transport with Ukraine by using the broad-gauge railway on the Kiev-Kosice route, which was approved by the government at its last meeting to be a waste of money, the party told a press conference on Thursday. Putting it into operation would require costs worth millions of euros, for which neither the Transport Ministry nor railway infrastructure operator ZSR currently has money. "We're aware of the importance of a quality rail link with Ukraine, a prospective new EU member, which will be important for the whole grouping. However, this project is covered by EU funds only for the infrastructure at the railway station in Matovce for border and customs authorities and at the railway station Haniska near Kosice for boarding and getting off passengers, while the need for investment resources is much higher," said KDH MP Igor Janckulik. The party called on Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) cabinet to ensure EU resources to finance such projects. Part of the government's resolution on this project also includes a task for Vice-Premier for EU Funds and Recovery Plan Peter Kmec (Voice-SD) to examine the possibility of funding this project from EU sources. According to Janckulik, the project doesn't take into account the critical condition of the 87-kilometre long broad-gauge line between Haniska near Kosice and the Slovak-Ukrainian border. "The single-track line was put into operation on May 1, 1965 and is intended for freight transport only. There has been only minimal investment in this line, with a maximum speed of 60 kilometres (km) per hour and a speed limit of 10 km per hour on many sections due to waterlogged subsoil. It would cost millions of euros to bring this line into serviceable condition for passenger rail transport," estimated the MP. am/mcs