Slovakia Plans 100-Kilometer High-Speed Rail Upgrade Between Košice and Žilina

Slovakia's railway infrastructure company ŽSR announced plans to build 100 kilometers of upgraded track between Košice and Žilina over the next 10 to 12 years, which would reduce travel time by 18 minutes. The announcement comes as the country addresses a massive railway investment backlog of 930 million euros that accumulated over years when authorities chose to reduce train speeds rather than repair problematic sections of track. For years, this approach forced trains traveling between Bratislava and Košice to slow to just 10 kilometers per hour in some areas instead of receiving proper maintenance and repairs. The investment debt has been reduced by approximately 70 million euros in recent years as the government allocated more funding to previously postponed railway projects, allowing some speed restrictions to be lifted.