517 million euros: Slovak Railways Completes Reconstruction Projects
517.17 million euros were allocated to the Slovak railways from the European Recovery Fund. The state-owned railway company Železnice Slovenskej republiky (ŽSR) announced this on September 22, 2026. Sixteen projects have been completed, modernizing 96.3 kilometers of track.
The total cost amounted to 534.89 million euros. The Recovery Fund covered 96.7% of this amount. The remainder, 17.72 million euros, came from other sources. The projects were carried out under Component 3 of the Slovak Recovery Plan, which focuses on sustainable transportation.
Electrification in the East
The largest single project involved the line between Bánovce nad Ondavou and Humenné, in the Prešov region near the Ukrainian border. ŽSR electrified 33.5 kilometers of track there at a cost of 244 million euros. The railway company also renovated stations, upgraded railroad crossings, and equipped lines with digital remote control systems. Previously, trains on this route operated with diesel locomotives at lower speeds.
“The reconstruction plan has enabled us to concentrate a large volume of railway infrastructure investments in a short period of time,” said Transportation Minister Jozef Ráž. ŽSR Director General Miroslav Garaj called the projects an important step: “This will help us reduce the mountain of debt we owe to our own infrastructure.” The result, according to Garaj, is the removal of speed limits, the renovation of bridges, and more modern platforms.
Six Billion from Brussels
Slovakia has so far drawn down 6.4 billion euros from the EU Recovery Fund. This was confirmed by Peter Stano, the European Commission’s representative in Slovakia. He called the rail modernization “a concrete example of European solidarity.” Ráž highlighted safer, more reliable, and faster connections for citizens and the economy.
The investments come during a period of moderate growth. The Slovak economy grew by 0.8% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Statistical Office of the Republic. Trade, transportation, and hospitality saw the strongest growth, at 2.3%. A well-functioning rail infrastructure contributes to this growth by making freight and passenger transport more reliable.
German automakers such as Volkswagen operate plants in Slovakia. Their supply chains rely on rail. More reliable rail lines shorten transit times for components and finished vehicles. This reduces costs for German exporters and investors who rely on Slovak suppliers. Freight forwarders transporting goods to Ukraine also benefit from the rail line in the eastern part of the country.
Sources: ŽSR, Slovak Ministry of Transport, Štatistický úrad SR (SK)
SK, Frankfurt