Rail Modernisation to Czech Border Completed in Kysuce

Svrcinovec, 16 December (TASR) - The modernisation of the railway line from Cadca to the state border with the Czech Republic has been completed in the Kysuce area, with the €90-million reconstruction work co-financed by three European Union funds, TASR learnt on Tuesday. The completion of the work was announced on Tuesday at a press conference in Svrcinovec (Zilina region) by Transport Minister Jozef Raz (nominee of Smer-SD), head of rail-infrastructure owner ZSR Miroslav Garaj, and a representative of the contractor. The modernised roughly five-kilometre section of the railway line includes elements of the ETCS safety system. "They aren't yet switched on and won't be for the next six months. This is because the transition to the Czech side is still being fine-tuned, meaning that trains must be able to log out of our safety system and log into the Czech one when crossing the border," said Raz. The contractor's representative added that the three-year modernisation project was carried out in difficult-to-access terrain, in some sections in forest areas or on embankments, and retaining walls had to be built due to landslide-prone areas. During the construction work, level crossings were removed, bridges were demolished and replaced with new roads underneath, and several illegal waste dumps were cleared, along with six asbestos dumps, which had to be disposed of safely. mf/df