Slovakia - General Information
Country Name
Slovakia (Slovenska Republika)
National railway system
Železnice Slovenskej republiky (ŽSR) was split into two companies (operating and infrastructure) on 1 January 2002:
National Railway Operator
Železničná spoločnosť (ZSSK).
Language
Slovak (Slovenský)
Currency
Euro
UIC code
Numeric 56; alpha SK
Timetable
Journey Planner
Actual Train Times
Downloadable Timetable
- A webpage in English with downloadable PDFs for the current annual timetable and any updates is here ZSSK Timetable
- The link to individual line timetables from the English webpage was broken in January 2023, and there doesn't appear to be an equivalent link on the Slovak webpage.
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. 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
DOPRAVNÉ SPRAVODAJSTVO A VÝLUKY in Slovak only.
Maps
Printed Maps
- European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball.
- European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Book 3) by M.G. Ball.
- Mapa Kolejowa Węgier i Słowacji (Hungary and Slovakia) by W. Kolondra.
Web-based Maps
- A map giving junction names and enlargements Railway Map of the Slovak Republic (May 2018).
- A zoomable map with a lot of detail on the www.atlaskolejowy.net website network map.
- Route diagram of Bratislava with historical notes.
- A rather basic ŽSR network map.
- Map of Slovakia plus an enlargement of Wien and Bratislava both dated December 2022 - on the Railroad Maps site.
- Maps and Plans - Slovakia.
Ticketing
Children under 15 and adults over 62 can travel free of charge on most ZSSK services (but not ZSSK IC's or Regiojet or Leo Express). Note for British Citizens that this Senior concession did not end with Brexit, but ended during 2023 when it was restricted to Slovak citizens or permanent residents in Slovakia, or to pensioners under 62 years of age who are citizens or permanent residents of EU member states (Whether they will eliminate the inconsitency is unclear). One must first register (for €0.50 and a 2x3cm photograph) at a ZSSK booking office, to receive a laminated Customer Card and then request a zero-fare ticket for each journey. For long-distance trains the ticket is linked to a specific train. Tickets and the customer card are both scanned on- board. For more information see Zero – fare public rail transport services in Slovakia as some trains require paying a compulsory Seat Reservation fee.
For all other travellers, Seat reservations are compulsory on express services, and casual travellers (even those with Interrail) may be asked to pay a seat reservation charge.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure Authority
Železnice Slovenskej republiky (ŽSR)
Network Statement
The Network Statement for 2023 & 2024 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). 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, 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' .
- The Network Statement Appendix F gives detailed overall distances for lines, but no distance information for each station or junction.
- 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 Praha - Zilina - Košice and Praha - Kouty - Bratislava main lines as a commercial operations.
- The Czech company LEO Express also operates Praha - Zilina - Košice services, and from December 2023 will operate the Bratislava - Komarno line under contract (until then a mixed ZSSK/OBB operation is in place)
- 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 Návrat Haničky pod Spišský hrad for 2018 service.
- 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 2020 a summer weekend service runs between 27 June and 27 September, with services on other single days during the year. 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 operates between May and September over 20 km of track, which form three branches: Chvatimech ČHŽ station (on the opposite side of the river to Chvatimech ZSR) - Čierny Balog; Čierny Balog - Dobruč (opened on 30 April 2012) and Čierny Balog - Vydrovo Korytárske, extended from Vydrovo skanzen in 2014. There are plans to reopen Vydrovo Korytárske to Vydrovo dolina at a future date, plus to electrify part or all lines and introduce a regular service after they acquire surplus stock [and a electrical substation!] from the Waldenburgbahn in Switzerland in Spring 2021. 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 line about 20km east of Čadca.
- At Čermel, north-west of Košice, there is the 4.2km long 1000mm gauge Čermel Valley Pioneer Railway.
- Near Smolenice is the Lesná železnica Katarínka, a short narrow gauge tourist line in the grounds on an old monastery [1]
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.
Track plans are available on the Doprava website.
Basic line diagrams are at the UrbanRailNet site with links to the local operators.
See also Slovakia - Tram services over obscure routes
Recent and future changes
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).
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.