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 is still available for 2024/25, and for 2023/24 cost €6 and includes introductory material in English, French and German. The 2025 PDFs do not contain details of the ŽSR-owned funicular railways and cableways but a section on preserved railways so it is assumed the printed version is the same. 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).
  •  ◒ a circle with its lower half black indicates a footnote advising a theoretical connection between the services listed will NOT be held.
  • 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

Due to recent changes please do not rely on this paragraph but check Prices & Discounts - Seniors as British Citizens 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. Note 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. There is a proposal that 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 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 plan is 25kv throughout but slow progress is being made as so far the changeover point was relocated from just south of Púchov to Bytča from 26 June 2024. Onwards to yards in the Žilina area is planned for 2025. 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 stock [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. Details are included in pages towards the rear of the printed Slovakian National Rail timetable book.
  • The 1km long 760mm Považská forest railway is shown as Table 903 in the printed Slovakian National Rail timetable book
  • At Čermel, north-west of Košice, there is the 4.2km long 1000mm gauge Čermel Valley Pioneer Railway. Details and timings are shown as Table 905 in the printed Slovakian National Rail timetable book
  • Details of two purpose built 760mm gauge lines within the Slovak Agricultural Museum in Nitra are shown as Table 930 in the printed Slovakian National Rail timetable book. One is a circuit around the open-air museum (1.6 km), the other connecting the open-air museum with the Exhibition Grounds (1 km).

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

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 then cutting across the old formation at 45 degrees to run 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.

Changes in 2024

From the December timetable change (or perhaps earlier), services between Bánovce nad Ondavou, Humenné and Medzilaborce (T191) and between Humenné and Stakčín (T196) are replaced by buses until an unknown date, except for one summer weekend train pair to and from Stakčín. The line between Bánovce nad Ondavou and Humenné is under electrification so will reopen once works are complete but it is not known when (or even if) the two branch lines will reopen to regular services.

Also from the December timetable change Regional services resumed across the Horní Lideč ČD - Strelenka ŽSR (- Púchov) border crossing (T125), operated by ZSSK, to augment the existing EC ones. There are five regional train pairs.

From an unknown date, but at least by 21 October 2024 there are no direct services between Bratislava Nove-Mesto and the Galanta line, meaning nothing is scheduled via curve 127E from Bratislava predmestie to Odbočka Močiar.

Changes in 2023

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

Changes in 2022

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. Some local services from Zvolen still reach Filakovo but the section of line beyond 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.

Older Changes

For details of older changes see Slovakia - Older General Information.

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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