Slovakia - General Information: Difference between revisions
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==Tourist lines== | ==Tourist lines== | ||
Čiernohronská Železnica Čierny Balog is a 760mm gauge former forestry railway. It operates over 14 km of track from Chvatimech ČHŽ station to Vydrovo skanzen between May and September. The Čiernohronská Železnica website is in Slovak and has further information and photographs. The standard gauge connecting line between Chvatimech and Hronec has a return journey (see SK09/3) between Banská Bystrica and Hronec zlieváreň advertised for early May each year. | * [http://www.zelpo.sk/region/cerzel/cerzel.html Čiernohronská Železnica Čierny Balog] is a 760mm gauge former forestry railway. It operates over 14 km of track from Chvatimech ČHŽ station to Vydrovo skanzen between May and September. The [http://www.chz.sk/ Čiernohronská Železnica website] is in Slovak and has further information and photographs. The standard gauge connecting line between Chvatimech and Hronec has a return journey (see SK09/3) between Banská Bystrica and Hronec zlieváreň advertised for early May each year. | ||
The Kysuce-Orava Museum railway is a 7km 760mm gauge line about 20km east of Čadca. Further information is also available at the railway's "romantic" enthusiasts club website. | * The [http://www.kruzok.sk/oldkruz/E_IND.HTM Kysuce-Orava Museum railway] is a 7km 760mm gauge line about 20km east of Čadca. Further information is also available at the railway's "romantic" enthusiasts club [http://www.kruzok.sk/oldkruz/KOLZ/E_KOLZ.HTM website]. | ||
At Čermel, north-west of Košice, there is the 4.2km long 1000mm gauge Čermel Valley Pioneer Railway. | * At Čermel, north-west of Košice, there is the 4.2km long 1000mm gauge [http://www.detskazeleznica.sk/ Čermel Valley Pioneer Railway]. | ||
==Metro== | ==Metro== | ||
Revision as of 15:41, 27 November 2010
Country Name
Slovakia (Slovenska Republika)
National railway system
ŽSR was split into two companies on 1 January 2002: railway infrastructure manager Železnice Slovenskej republiky (ŽSR), and railway operator Železničná spoločnosť (ZSSK).
Official Website
Language
Slovak (Slovenský)
Currency
Euro
UIC code
Numeric 56; alpha SK
Timetable
Journey Planner
Downloadable Timetable
Printed Timetable
Cestovný poriadok, published annually. 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.
Engineering Information
www.zsr.sk/slovensky/aktuality/mimoriadne-udalosti.html?page_id=132 in Slovak only. The current week is given at isi.zsr.sk/NADAktualT.htm and the following week at isi.zsr.sk/NADBuduciT.htm
Maps
Slovakian railways are shown Quail Map Company's "Czech Republic and Slovakia Railway Map". This also includes details of tram routes and some historical information.
Gauge
The main line network is Standard. The tramway between Trenčianská Teplá and Trenčianske Teplice is 760mm gauge. The Tatranské Elektrické Železnice (Tatras Electric Railways) system is 1000mm 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). A joint venture has been set up to assess the merits of extending this line westwards to Wien.
- 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 is just south of Púchov. The Trenčianske Teplice tramway is 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.
Other railways
There are several freight operators: BRKS Bratislava, U. S. Steel Košice, Slovenská železničná dopravná spoločňosť, LTE Slovakia.
Tourist lines
- Čiernohronská Železnica Čierny Balog is a 760mm gauge former forestry railway. It operates over 14 km of track from Chvatimech ČHŽ station to Vydrovo skanzen between May and September. The Čiernohronská Železnica website is in Slovak and has further information and photographs. The standard gauge connecting line between Chvatimech and Hronec has a return journey (see SK09/3) between Banská Bystrica and Hronec zlieváreň advertised for early May each year.
- The Kysuce-Orava Museum railway is a 7km 760mm gauge line about 20km east of Čadca. Further information is also available at the railway's "romantic" enthusiasts club website.
- At Čermel, north-west of Košice, there is the 4.2km long 1000mm gauge Čermel Valley Pioneer Railway.
Metro
None.
Trams
Bratislava, Trenčianská Teplá (ŽS operated), Košice.
Recent and future changes
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.
Line 167 - Roznava to Roznava mesto (one early morning train each way) closed with effect from 14 June 2009
Line 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 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 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 The following lines were threatened with closure as from 2 February 2003 but survived owing to regional support (perhaps closing for only a few days):
113 Zohor - Záhorská Ves - operated for an unknown period from 7 July 2003 by Bratislavská regionálna koľajová spoločňosť (BRKS) using hired OBB stock, but this has now reverted to ZSSK 126 Žilina - Rajec The complete Tatra mountain system has also been threatened.
Line 175 (Rimavská Sobota - Poltár) was replaced by buses in 2001 because very poor track condition but these have now been 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 and now carries the principal Wien - Bratislava services in preference to the Marchegg route.
Special notes
A route diagram of Bratislava with historical notes is available.
The Slovak timetable retains the useful train routing markings in the centre of the train timings column: a straight line indicates that the train runs through the listed stations, whereas a wavy line shows that the train runs via a different route.
Seat reservations are compulsory on IC trains, and casual travellers (even those with Euro Domino tickets) may be asked to pay a seat reservation charge.
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.
