Raz: Bratislava to Become Part of High-speed Rail Project Linking V4 Capitals

Bratislava, 21 January (TASR) – Slovak regions, including Bratislava, should in the future become part of a planned high-speed rail link connecting the capitals of the Visegrad Four countries (V4: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), said Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) on Wednesday. Raz said this when citing the results of a feasibility study for the rail route sections on Slovak soil as part of the high-speed rail link. According to Raz, the study assessed 38 variants, which is why it took longer to prepare than the planned 24 months. It will also be reviewed by the Finance Ministry's Value for Money Unit. The first stage of the rail project in Slovakia (planned for 2030 to 2040) should run from the Hungarian border at Rusovce to Bratislava, with a new station, Bratislava West, set to be built to the west of the city. The second stage is planned to continue from the Slovak capital to the Czech border, including a section to the Austrian town of Marchegg. The estimated costs for project preparation and land purchases amount to €360 million. The construction of the line on Slovak territory, provisionally between 2029 and 2046, could reach €3.3 billion. Raz also held talks on joint motorway and rail projects with Czech Transport Minister Ivan Bednarik, who last year served as general director of the Slovak rail-infrastructure owner ZSR. mf/df