Transport ranks among the strategic sectors in virtually every country. The construction of motorways and bypasses, railway modernisation, the efficiency of waterborne transport – all of these issues are being addressed in the Czech Republic and likewise in Slovakia. One of the experts in Slovakia capable of approaching transport in all its complexity is Denisa Žiláková, state secretary at the Ministry of Transport and an expert on European law and funds.
Slovakia is part of the joint V4 high-speed rail project. How should rail connections with the Czech Republic improve in the future, and does the Berlin–Prague–Bratislava–Budapest axis have potential?
Yes, this connection has long-term potential. Slovakia is preparing for the future high-speed rail network while also improving rail connections with the Czech Republic today. We have also accelerated preparations for the most important construction projects through the Strategic Investments Act. The government has included eight railway infrastructure projects under this regime. The law makes it possible to accelerate and better coordinate permitting, property-rights preparations and related processes that took disproportionately long in the past. On the western corridor, we are preparing the modernisation of the Devínska Nová Ves–Malacky and Kúty–Czech border sections for speeds of up to 200 km/h. On the northern corridor, we have completed the modernisation of the section from Čadca to the Czech border as well as the strategic Žilina junction, and on other sections we are primarily working towards speeds of up to 160 km/h. These are specific projects that shorten travel times between our countries and increase the reliability of rail transport. As for high-speed rail, Slovakia is part of the joint V4 project, and we are currently finalising a document that is intended to establish the financing of pre-project and project preparations. We are also planning a connection to Austria, which would connect Bratislava to the wider network towards Vienna and other European centres. High-speed rail is a project spanning decades, so we have to do both things at the same time – improve the existing network today and systematically prepare for its future.
Extensive modernisation is under way on the railway corridor between the Czech border, Žilina and Košice. What has already been achieved and what parameters should this line have in the future?
On this corridor, we have already completed the modernisation of the Čadca–Czech border section as well as the strategic Žilina junction. The Poprad–Vydrník section is under construction, and we are preparing further modernisation projects near Liptovský Mikuláš, between Vydrník and Markušovce and between Krompachy and Kysak. The investments also include ETCS and GSM-R systems, which increase safety and allow the lines to be used more efficiently. Slovak railways are catching up on years of underinvestment and deferred maintenance. Our response is the unprecedented level of ongoing railway infrastructure modernisation. Through the Slovakia Programme, the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Connecting Europe Facility, we are financing the reconstruction of approximately 400 kilometres of railway lines worth almost two billion euros, and we are preparing further projects worth approximately 1.5 billion euros. On the Čadca–Žilina–Košice route, the plan is primarily to modernise the existing line for speeds of up to 160 km/h, rather than to build a separate high-speed line in the conventional sense. The role of the state is to create safe, reliable and competitive infrastructure so that operators have a reason to develop high-quality and fast international connections, including connections with the Czech Republic.
With Juraj Nociar, Head of the Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the EU
What potential does the rail connection between Košice and Uzhhorod have, as well as the Čierna nad Tisou transshipment terminal, where standard and broad gauge meet?
The number of passengers travelling between Slovakia and Ukraine is growing, which is why we want to continue developing passenger rail transport between the two countries. A new opportunity is the standard-gauge line that Ukraine has built to Uzhhorod. It allows simpler direct connections without the need to change bogies or change trains, and together with our Ukrainian partners we want to make use of this potential. For freight transport, Čierna nad Tisou continues to be of strategic importance precisely because it is where standard and broad gauge meet. For the modernisation of the railway line at this junction, we have an approved project under the Connecting Europe Facility, or CEF, to prepare the project documentation. The modernisation of the transshipment terminal itself is included in the pipeline of projects for CEF. This is an important foundation for ensuring that we are prepared for future transport flows. The war has reduced or redirected several traditional transport flows while also creating new ones, for example in agricultural commodities. Their volumes are highly variable, so we do not want to make speculative long-term forecasts today. After the war ends, however, the reconstruction of Ukraine could generate extensive flows of materials, technologies and other goods from the European Union eastwards. We are therefore also developing plans for a connection between the Port of Gdańsk and the Čierna nad Tisou/Dobrá logistics hub. Čierna has not lost its importance – what will be decisive is how well it prepares for new opportunities and competition from other logistics routes.
You are an expert on European funds. In the next seven-year budget, the Czech Republic expects a significant decline in its net surplus from the EU budget. What are Slovakia’s expectations and what would it like to invest in most from EU funds?
According to the European Commission’s current proposal, Slovakia should remain one of the largest net recipients from the EU budget in the 2028–2034 period. On a per capita basis, it is provisionally ranked approximately seventh among the 27 Member States. The proposed overall framework amounts to approximately 19.9 billion euros, a volume comparable to the current period. However, this is still a proposal that will be subject to negotiations. There will be greater competition for European funding, and the importance of defence, security and resilience will increase significantly. That is precisely why we place great emphasis on so-called dual-use infrastructure, meaning projects with both civilian and military uses. For Slovakia, resilient connections to the eastern border with Ukraine and their links to European corridors are particularly important. Transport must therefore remain one of the main priorities. We want to continue modernising railways and roads, complete key TEN-T network connections and develop public transport, safe mobility in the regions, decarbonisation, digitalisation and infrastructure resilience. The new financing model will be more closely linked to reforms, milestones and measurable results, so the quality and readiness of projects will be decisive. The Ministry of Transport is already demonstrating its readiness under the Slovakia Programme 2021–2027. In absolute terms, we lead in the value of calls launched, funds contracted and funds drawn. The National Motorway Company is the largest recipient of EU funds in Slovakia, with more than one billion euros allocated to motorway projects. We have an experienced team, a high-quality pipeline of projects and the ability to contract them quickly and move them swiftly into the implementation phase. We are therefore prepared to make effective use of the future allocation for transport as well as other resources that might not be fully utilised in less successful areas. Our goal is not to let a single euro that can bring Slovakia more modern, safer and more competitive transport go unused.
The author is the European editor of Deník
CV BOX
Denisa Žiláková is State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic and an expert on European law and funds.
She studied law at Comenius University and management at the Institute of European Integration at the Faculty of Management of Comenius University in Bratislava. She also studied European funds management at the European Academy for Taxes, Economics and Law in Berlin and European law at King’s College London. She furthered her education at École de Langue – Accord in Paris and obtained an MBA from Cambridge Business School in Prague.
Her professional career has been associated with European legislation and European Union funds for more than twenty years. From 2001 to 2005, she worked within the Delegation of the European Commission as an adviser on justice, internal relations and pre-accession funds.
She has worked at several ministries, including the ministries of finance, transport, interior and informatization. She has been State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic since autumn 2023.
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