Bratislava – Slovakia has achieved remarkable success in transport funding. In the latest call of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the country secured over 141 million euros in European grants for railway infrastructure modernization. This allocation marks one of the highest amounts Slovakia has ever received through this program, according to the Minister of Transport of Slovakia, Jozef Ráž, as reported by TASR.
Slovak initiatives have excelled amidst strong competition from 27 EU member states, acquiring nearly 8% of the total CEF cohesion envelope. The funding is aimed at strategic railway projects that will significantly enhance safety, speed, interoperability, and environmental sustainability in railway transport.
“We have secured almost eight percent of the entire cohesion allocation, demonstrating that Slovakia is not only vying for European resources but also effectively obtaining them and turning them into high-quality transport initiatives. It is excellent news that the Railways of the Slovak Republic will continue the modernization of the Vydrník to Spišská Nová Ves section with CEF funding, amounting to nearly one hundred million euros for this project,” stated Jozef Ráž, Minister of Transport of Slovakia.
Key projects set to receive support include: the modernization of the railway line from Vydrník to Spišská Nová Ves (increasing line speed to 160 km/h and fully electrifying the route); project documentation for the modernization of the crucial Košice – Čierna nad Tisou line up to the Ukraine border; reconstruction of the Čierna nad Tisou railway station; modernization of switches in the Barca area to enhance safety at the Košice railway hub; upgrades to the traction substation in Ruskovo; modernization of 23 ZSSK CARGO freight locomotives with ERTMS/ETCS installation; and ETCS installation on 29 ZSSK passenger railway vehicles.
The European Commission explicitly appreciated the improvement in the quality of our projects.
“The European Commission recognized the enhancements in our project quality, reflecting systematic preparation, professional engagement, and close cooperation with Brussels,” remarked Denisa Žiláková, State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport. She noted that other awarded projects, such as the modernization of the Paludza – Liptovský Hrádok railway line and the renovation of the Dobrá transshipment terminal, also received high evaluations and are likely to secure funding in the next round post-building permits. The ministry plans to partially finance these projects from the Slovakia Program, with construction expected to start soon.
The Ministry of Transport reiterated that this achievement aligns with its strategy to create safe, fast, and eco-friendly transport by maximizing European fund utilization. (July 7)
Leave a Reply