Leaked list of 35 rail lines to be tendered

The Transport Ministry plans to call tenders to run trains on 35 lines next year. It refuses to publish their list, but the Sme daily got hold of it. These are mostly regional lines where the state carrier ŽS Slovensko is making the highest losses. Private carriers could therefore ask for higher subsidies compared to what ŽS Slovensko receives now. The previous government called a tender to run trains on the Bratislava – Banská Bystrica line, but the current minister Árpad Érsek (Most-Híd) canceled it.

One of the lines where a tender is planned is Bratislava – Komárno. The contract of the Czech carrier RegioJet, which has been running trains on this line since 2012, will expire in 2020, and the new tender’s winner should take over seamlessly. After 2024, EU directives mandate tenders for all rail lines. The state carrier, ŽS Slovensko, wants to take part in all tenders.

(sme.sk)