photo: Jaccchhhrn, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 / Flickr/RGJ 1052, Bratislava, Slovakia
Slovakia has presented a key feasibility study for a future high-speed rail line connecting the capitals of the V4 countries. The project aims to drastically shorten travel times between Bratislava, Prague, Vienna and Budapest.
At a press conference held by the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic, new details were revealed about the planned high-speed railway that is intended to link the capitals of the V4 countries. According to the presented study, trains near Bratislava could operate at speeds of up to 320 km/h. The project is divided into two phases and also includes plans for a new Bratislava-West station, as well as several track upgrades around the city aimed at gradually increasing speeds and improving capacity.
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Transport Minister Jozef Ráž presented the results of the feasibility study last week, noting that its preparation took longer than expected due to the assessment of 38 different route variants. The study addresses the Slovak section of the planned high-speed corridor connecting Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, and Warsaw. The document is now subject to review by Slovakia’s Value for Money Unit.
The first phase of the high-speed rail project in Slovakia is scheduled for the period 2030–2040. It will run from the Hungarian border at Rusovce to Bratislava, where the new Bratislava-West station is planned to be built west of the city. The second phase is intended to continue from Bratislava towards the Czech border, including a section leading towards Marchegg in Austria.
According to Minister Ráž, the first phase will primarily focus on upgrading existing infrastructure around Bratislava. This includes double-tracking the Rusovce–Petržalka section, modernising Rusovce station, increasing capacity at Bratislava’s Main Station, and adding a fourth track between Lamač and Bory. "The construction of the Bratislava-West station, as we refer to it in Stupava, with connections to Bory, is an integral part of the first phase," Ráž stated.
Bratislava Rail Hub to Gain Speed and Capacity
"The second phase should involve the construction of the high-speed line on the sections Bratislava-West to the Czech border and Bratislava-West to Marchegg, in the direction of Vienna," the minister explained. According to the study, line speeds from Bratislava Main Station to Lamač would increase to 120 km/h, further towards Zohor and Marchegg to 160 km/h, and on the Bratislava-West to Czech border section up to 320 km/h.
Preparatory works and land acquisition are estimated to cost approximately €360 million, while construction of the line—planned for the period 2029–2046—could reach around €3.3 billion. Minister Ráž also referred to ongoing cooperation on joint motorway and railway projects with Czech Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik, who previously served as head of Železnice Slovenskej republiky.
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