Raz and Bednarik Seek to Bring Prague-Bratislava Rail Journey below Two Hours
Prague, 22 April (TASR-correspondent) - High-speed connection between Prague and Bratislava is a key project of Slovakia and the Czech Republic as part of cooperation in rail transport, Transport Minister Jozef Raz and his Czech counterpart Ivan Bednarik told a briefing at Prague's main railway station, TASR learnt from its special correspondent in Prague on Wednesday.
The journey from Prague to Bratislava could thus take less than two hours, compared to the current four and a half hours. The chances of securing significant EU funds will be bolstered by a memorandum of understanding that was signed in Prague by both ministers.
Raz pointed out that the original plan for this high-speed rail line did not include Slovakia. According to him, the memorandum signed with the Czech Republic is significant in that it can be attached to every application which Slovakia may submit in the future when applying for grants under the Connecting Europe Facility in relation to this rail line.
He said that with more countries signing such a memorandum, the chances to succeed with the European Commission on further joint projects will rise.
"Therefore, the more of us sitting at the table and signing the document, the greater the likelihood that we'll have a competitive edge and be more successful with evaluation committees in projects compared to other countries," stated Raz.
Bednarik considers the memorandum to be the first step towards making the railway the first choice for passengers travelling between Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The construction of the high-speed line from Brno to the south should commence in the Czech Republic in 2030. In that section, trains will be reaching speeds of up to 320 km/h.
In about 15 years, according to Bednarik, a journey from Prague to Bratislava could take under two hours. "We'll be finished perhaps in 2040, or maybe in 2042. Fifteen years, give or take," estimated Bednarik.
Under the memorandum, both ministries have also committed to continuing the modernisation of the existing cross-border lines, particularly in the Breclav-Bratislava, Ostrava-Zilina, and Hranice na Morave-Puchov sections.
