Slovakia - General Information

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Country Name

Slovakia (Slovenska Republika)

National railway system

Železnice Slovenskej republiky (ŽSR) was split into two companies (ŽSSK operating and ŽSR infrastructure) on 1 January 2002:

National Railway Operator

Železničná spoločnosť (ŽSSK).

Language

Slovak (Slovenský)

Currency

Euro

UIC code

Numeric 56; alpha SK

Timetable

Journey Planner

- Journey planner

Actual Train Times

Downloadable Timetable

  • A webpage in English to download a PDF of the complete annual timetable updated as shown is here ZSSK Timetable. Accessing individual line timetables no longer appears to be possible.

Printed Timetable

Cestovný poriadok, published annually was still available for 2023/24 costing €6. This includes introductory material in English, French and German, and contains details of the ŽSR-owned funicular railways and cableways. Timetable supplements are issued twice a year, usually in March and June: normally these are obtainable only at major stations and on presentation of the coupon in the timetable book. A fold-out route map shows principal stations. See below for route taken indicators.

Additional Notes on reading the Timetable

  • Important Note: The ⚒ working days symbol means ①-⑤ (Mondays to Fridays) and not, as for most other railways, ①-⑥ (Mondays to Saturdays).
  • Two useful symbols exist which show the booked route for trains not calling at a station: in the middle of the train column, | means that the train passes through the station without stopping, whereas ⸾ , > or < mean that the train does not pass through that station but instead takes a different route. This must not be confused with ⸾ to the left of the time, which means that the train runs only on certain days.

Engineering Information

Current and one week ahead information here. It also gives a link to a flow chart summary of planned work for the timetable year.

Maps

Printed Maps

Web-based Maps

Ticketing

Note for British Citizens that eligibility for free travel if over 62 did not end with Brexit, but did cease during 2023. It was then restricted to Slovak citizens or permanent residents in Slovakia over 62 years old, or Students under 26 and Pensioners who are citizens or permanent residents of EU member states. Please do not rely on this paragraph but check Prices & Discounts - Seniors, especially as free travel is not allowed on IC services, and some trains still require paying a compulsory Seat Reservation fee.

For all other travellers, Seat reservations are compulsory on express services plus any marked R in the PDFs. Casual travellers (even those with Interrail) also need to pay a seat reservation charge.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

Železnice Slovenskej republiky (ŽSR)

Network Statement

The Network Statement for 2025 and previous years to 2023 can be found here

Gauge

The main line network is Standard. Future Bratislava suburban light rail services will use dual gauge 1435/1000 mm track shared with the tram network.

The tramway between Trenčianská Teplá and Trenčianske Teplice is 760 mm gauge.

The Tatranské Elektrické Železnice (Tatras Electric Railways) system and Bratislava Tramways are 1000 mm gauge.

There are two 1520mm gauge freight-only routes into Ukraine:

  • between the East Slovakia Steelworks (VSŽ), south west of Košice, via Trebišov to Uzhgorod (note: the route of this is shown completely wrongly on some maps). From time to time there is talk of extending this line westwards to Wien in Austria, but there are no firm plans.
  • between Čierna nad Tisou and Chop.

Electrification

Main line electrification is 3 kV dc except for the south west of the country which is 25 kV 50 Hz; the changeover point will eventually be moved to yards in the Žilina area, but so far, in June 2024 this was relocated from just south of Púchov to Bytča. The Trenčianske Teplice, Bratislava and Kosice tramways are 600 V dc. The Tatra system is 1500 V dc. The cross-border line from Kittsee ÖBB to Bratislava-Petržalka is electrified at the Austrian standard 15 kV 16.7 Hz.

Rule of the road

Right.

Distances

  • On the Atlaskolejowy website, select the line from the drop down list labelled 'Wykaz linii kolejowych na Słowacji' .
  • Beneath the map at Tabuľky traťových pomerov is a table with line sections (Číslo trate) and a column Názov with links TTP... zmena to PDFs showing distances in metres for that line section

Other railways

  • Regiojet, owned by the Student Agency company, operates limited Praha - Žilina - Košice and Praha - Kouty - Bratislava services as a commercial operations.
  • The Czech company LEO Express also operates Praha - Žilina - Košice services, and their Slovakian subsidiary has recently taken over operating table 130 from Bratislava Hl s to Komárno
  • DB subsidiary ARRIVA TRANSPORT ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA a.s.operates Praha - Nitra daily service from 01 September 2018, via Prerov, Uhersky Brod, Trencin and Leopoldov.
  • There are several freight operators: BRKS Bratislava, U. S. Steel Košice, Slovenská železničná dopravná spoločňosť, LTE Slovakia.

Tourist lines

  • The former ŽSR 8 km branch from Spišské Vlachy to Spišské Podhradie [line 187] reopened May 2018 for the summer. It is privately operated by Logistik a Transport Slovakia [LTE]. See Spišský hrad for May 25 - September 1 2024 service details.
  • The former ŽSR 760mm gauge 600v DC electrified route from Trencianska Teplá to Trencianske Teplice is now operated by the non-profit organisation Trencianska elektrická železnica. In 2024 a summer weekend service runs between 1 May - 1 September, with services on other single days approximately monthly. The service is shown in Table 122 of the national timetable with a footnote referring the reader to the operator's website for operating dates.
  • Čiernohronská Železnica Čierny Balog is a 760mm gauge former forestry railway. It operated daily in 2024 between 29 June - 1 September over 13km of track, on three separate branches: All services since 2022 start from Čierny Balog as the northern section from Chvatimech ČHŽ station (on the opposite side of the river to Chvatimech ZSR) to Šánske is "out of regular operation due to the already significant wear and tear of the line and its repairs. Only working and special trains run here for a special tariff. In addition, the track is passable for bicycle tracks, which can be ordered in advance". Services were Šánske - Čierny Balog [5km]; Čierny Balog - Dobroč (4km including the famous section through the football stadium); Čierny Balog - Vydrovo Koncecna [4km], extended from Vydrovo skanzen in 2014. There are plans to reopen to Vydrovo dolina at a future date, plus to electrify part or all lines and introduce a regular service using tock [and a electrical substation!] acquired from the Waldenburgbahn in Switzerland, but any prospective traveller is advised to check their website as a long standing dispute with local businesses has been known to disrupt operations. The standard gauge connecting line between Chvatimech and Hronec used to have a return journey between Banská Bystrica and Hronec zlieváreň in early May each year but this was discontinued in 2013. A timetable in English is available.
  • The Kysuce-Orava Museum railway is a 7km 760mm gauge ex Forestry line about 20km east of Čadca.
  • At Čermel, north-west of Košice, there is the 4.2km long 1000mm gauge Čermel Valley Pioneer Railway.

Metro

None.

Trams/LRT-Systems

Bratislava and Košice. The ŽSR operated Trenčianska Teplá - Trenčianske Teplice tramway was closed 10 December 2011 but is still operational and runs on odd dates, [see Tourist Lines above].

Track plans for the tram networks are available on the Doprava website, with basic line diagrams on the UrbanRailNet site with links to the local operators.

See also Slovakia - Tram services over obscure routes

Recent and future changes

Major works are ongoing in the Žilina area, they were initially to the east of the station involving diversions via the goods line flyovers, [see Unusual services page], and construction of new platforms to the north of the existing ones that were brought into use on 1 October 2024. Additionally the route to/from Bratislava is being straightened involving closure of the old western freight yard, with the main line re-aligned south of and further away from the locomotive Depot and cutting right across the old formation to be some way north of the now lifted old freight yard. As part of those works, there is no service on table 126 from Žilina – Rajec from 1.10.2024 to 30.04.2025.

A c3km re-alignment to the west of Poprad-Tatry involving a repositioned Lučivná station opened on 22 July 2023.

Table 160: From the 2022/23 timetable commencement date the station avoiding line at Fiľakovo is in use by all services between Fiľakovo zastávka to/from Jesenské/Košice. The section of line between Fiľakovo station and Výhybna Urbánka [115A] closed to passenger services.

The metre gauge electric rack railway between Štrba and Štrbské Pleso reopened after refurbishment on 16 February 2022 using new Stadler units, which can also operate on the High Tatras line.

Table 169 Košice - Hidasnémeti (Hungary) now has a 2-hourly service.

Two cut offs just east of Púchov opened on 17 September 2020. The first replaces a slow U-bend section of 6.8km with a 4.5km new alignment including a relocated Nosice station but with Milochov station on the old route closing, the second replaces a 2.7km riverside section and is approximately 2.3km mostly in tunnel easing the curve at Horny Milochov on the western approach to Považská Bystrica.

Čierna nad Tisou – Čop (Ukraine) No longer a sparse, difficult to identify service from December 2019.

Table 112 Zohor - Plavecký Mikuláš regular service withdrawn from 14 December 2019. Three pairs of trains from Bratislava Hl s to to Plavecké Podhradie ran ⑥ between 4 July and 15 September 2020. See for details, but it is not known if any have run since.

Table 113 Zohor - Záhorská Ves closed on 14 December 2019.

Table 188 - A cross border service from Plaveč via Čirč to Muszyna in Poland resumed on 29 June 2019, initially summer only (6) (7) but with a winter sports service added later. See Cross Borders for the latest information.

Table 195 Bánovce nad Ondavou - Veľké Kapušany re-opened on 9 June 2019, with a 4 pair (6) (7) service.

Table 153 Zvolen - Šahy reopened to passengers on 2 January 2019

Table 188 Lipany - Čirč re-opened to passengers 9 December 2018

Table 187 Spišské Vlachy - Spišské Podhradie reopened with a summer service May 2018 - see Tourist lines above.

A link between Horné Krškany and Trnovec nad Váhom of 19·6 km is proposed considerably shortening the railway distance and journey time between Nitra and Bratislava. A feasibility study is being prepared for a single or double track line suitable for 160 km/h running and if it proves viable, construction could start in 2023.

The Hegyeshalom - Rajka MÁV - Rusovce ŽSR Bratislava-Petržalka cross border line reopened to passengers from the December 2017 timetable change with a five pair passenger service operated by GySEV after no service since 10 December 2010.

Zohor to Plavecké Podhradie [30km of Table 112] reopened with two pairs SSuX between 29 April and 1 October 2017. No service was shown in the timetables for summer 2018, but it ran in Summer 2019 and 2020 (6) (7), then three pairs through from Bratislava Hl s ran ⑥ between 4 July and 15 September 2020. See for details. These are not shown in the official timetable so it is not known if any have run since.

The Bratislava tram network was extended across the river Dunaj (Danube) to the Petržalka district (Jungmannova) on 8 July 2016. Dual gauge track has been laid to provide for future 1435 mm gauge light rail services in addition to the 1000 mm tram services.

A short section of the former Moldava nad Bodvou - Medzev line [Table 168, now included in table 160] reopened on 15 December 2015 as part of the integrated transport strategy for the Košice region. The single platform station at Moldava nad Bodvou mesto, was rebuilt on the opposite (east) side of the line to facilitate level interchange with the adjacent new bus station.

Table 191 between Medzilaborce mesto and Lupków (Poland) regained a summer weekend only service from 2017.

The following lines closed from 9 December 2012:

  • 144 Prievidza - Nitrianske Pravno
  • 154 Hronská Dúbrava - Banská Štiavnica
  • 185 (part) Stará Ľubovňa - Plaveč
  • 187 Spišské Vlachy - Spišské Podhradie
  • 195 Bánovce nad Ondavou - Veľké Kapušany [reopened 9 June 2019]

Table 188, the Lipany - Plaveč section was reduced to one train each way FSuO.

The following lines have no services in the 2011-12 timetable

  • 122 Trenčianska Teplá - Trenčianske Teplice (Closed 10 December 2011). A summer tourist operation has since commenced.
  • 134 Šaľa - Neded (Removed from timetable 10 December 2011. In practice bus substituted since 12 December 2010)
  • 191 Medzilaborce mesto - Łupków (Poland) (The one return journey summer FSSuO did not appear in the timetable, and the service was suspended for the summer period of 2011 and 2012).

These two lines lost their service from 1 May 2011

  • 164 Fiľakovo - Somoskőújfalu (Hungary)
  • 165 Plešivec - Muráň

The following lines lost their passenger services with effect from 12 December 2010:

  • 132 Bratislava-Petržalka – Rajka (Hungary). The sole remaining service had been the overnight train between Praha and Budapest. Passenger services resumed from the December 2017 timetable change.
  • 133 Sereď – Leopoldov

The cross-border route from Lenartovce to Bánréve in Hungary closed to passenger services on 12 December 2009.

In May 2009 the Russian, Austrian, Slovak and Ukrainian railways agreed a joint venture to examine the case for extending from Košice to Vienna the 1520 mm gauge railway from the Ukraine, to connect central Europe to the Trans-Siberian. It is no longer thought to be a realistic option.

Table 167 - Roznava to Roznava mesto (one early morning train each way) closed with effect from 14 June 2009

Table 135 - Komárno to Komárom (Hungary) - has closed and reopened several times in recent years: closed by June 2001; reopened by 2 February 2003; closed 11 December 2004; reopened 9 December 2007; closed 13 December 2008.

Owing to severe financial difficulties the following lines closed as from 2 February 2003 inclusive (timetable numbers shown):

  • 112 Zohor - Plavecký Mikuláš
  • 117 Jablonica - Brezová pod Bradlom
  • 124 Nemšová - Lednické Rovne
  • 136 Komárno - Kolárovo
  • 141 Kozárovce - Zlaté Moravce - Lužianky
  • 142 Zbehy - Radošina
  • 144 Prievidza - Nitrianske Pravno
  • 153 Zvolen - Šahy
  • 161 Lučenec - Kalonda
  • 163 Breznička - Katarínska Huta
  • 166 Plešivec - Slavošovce
  • 167 Rožňava - Dobšiná
  • 168 Moldava nad Bodvou - Medzev (reopened 15 Dec 2015 as far as Moldava nad Bodvou mesto)
  • 186 Spišská Nová Ves - Levoča
  • 192 Trebišov - Vranov nad Topľou
  • 175 Poltár - Rimavská Sobota [already replaced by buses]

The following lines closed as from 2 February 2003 but re-opened on 15 June 2003 with financial support from the local region:

  • 134 Šaľa - Neded (closed again 12 Dec 2010, see above)
  • 143 Trenčín - Chynorany
  • 151 Zlaté Moravce - Úľany nad Žitavou
  • 152 Levice - Čata - Štúrovo
  • 153 Šahy - Cata
  • 154 Hronská Dúbrava - Banská Štiavnica
  • 165 Plešivec - Muráň
  • 195 Bánovce nad Ondavou - Veľké Kapušany

Table 175 (Rimavská Sobota - Poltár) was replaced by buses in 2001 due to very poor track condition but even these were later withdrawn.

The short branch from Komárno to Komárno zastávka closed sometime in 2001.

The cross-border route from Parndorf via Kittsee to Bratislava-Petržalka opened in May 1999.

Special notes

The electric railway between Štrba and Štrbské Pleso is rack worked. The steeply graded line between Pohronská Polhora and Tisovec-Bánovo is rack fitted but not worked as such.

See also

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