Slovakian Railways (ZSR) announced the entrance into service of the double-track railway section Trenčianska Teplá – Ilava – Beluš, part of the TEN-T railway network and also representing part of the Priority Project No 23 (Gdansk–Warsaw–Brno/Žilina-Bratislava–Vienna). The 20,409 m modernised railway line has parameters for a track speed of 160 km/h.

"Since 2007, we modernised 57 km of railway lines with the support of the European Union  and another 43 kilometers are be upgraded ",  stated J. Počiatek, minister of infrastructure. "Our objective is to gradually modernise the entire railway line from Bratislava to Košice and Žilina to the state border with Poland, so that safe and clean railways regain their competitive advantages, both in passenger and freight transport," he added Počiatek.

Modernisation works (reconstruction, electrification, modernisation of level crossings and railway stations) started in 2009 and were carried out by the Association ŽSR-Beluša STRABAG s.r.o., consisting of Strabag, Viamont DSP a.s, Porr (Slovakia), BÖGL a KRÝSL (Czech Republic), Alpine SK. The project value was 289 million EUR, with EU contributing EUR 231 million.

Photo: asb.sk