The national railway company, Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK), has announced plans to construct new technical-hygienic maintenance centers in Košice and Žilina, funded by EU grants.
These new facilities are designed to offer quicker and more efficient cleaning and technical care for trains, thereby improving reliability and comfort for passengers. The investment also aims to improve working conditions for employees, many of whom currently work in less than ideal conditions. The project has received validation from the Value for Money Division (ÚHP) of the Slovak Ministry of Finance, ensuring the efficient use of public funds.
ZSSK already operates three newly built such centers in Humenné, Nové Zámky, and Zvolen. The addition of the Košice and Žilina centers will significantly upgrade the existing outdated facilities. These new centers will centralize maintenance activities, reducing the number of trains held in reserve and ensuring their more efficient use, contributing to greater reliability and comfort in rail transport.
The new centers will be funded under the Slovakia Program 2021-2027, with the European Commission approving the projects for EU co-financing. ZSSK will also contribute its own resources to the funding. The new centers will feature modern amenities including operational treatment halls, stable washing facilities, and tracks for cleaning carriages with closed-system toilets, along with necessary new technologies for technical and hygienic maintenance.
Currently, ZSSK's technical-hygienic maintenance services are spread across various locations and are often affected by weather conditions due to their open-air setups. The new centers will house all maintenance activities under one roof, facilitating both exterior and interior cleaning of trains, technical inspections, and minor repairs, irrespective of weather conditions.
The national railway company, ZSSK, is fully owned by the Slovak Republic through the Ministry of Transport. ZSSK operates an average of 1,723 trains daily, including 8 intercity (IC) trains, 273 other long-distance trains, and 1,442 regional and suburban connections, covering 2,840 kilometers of tracks across Slovakia.
