In line with the new train timetable for 2025 taking effect as of December 15, trains between Bratislava and Kosice will run at hourly intervals, with the route being served by 16 express trains instead of the current 11, Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) told a news conference, held on Tuesday in reaction to the news on scrapping of IC trains that appeared in the media in the past few days.
"We're introducing an hourly interval. Trains between Bratislava and Kosice will run every hour, similarly to the case in the surrounding countries between big cities. Instead of the current 11 trains (seven express trains and four IC trains), we'll have 16 express trains. The system of discounts, giving free travel to students and pensioners, will be preserved for these express trains," said Raz.
The minister sees the benefit of the new train timetable in higher number of trains serving the Bratislava-Kosice route. Eight stops will be added, with express trains stopping also in Trencin, Povazska Bystrica, Puchov (both Trencin region), Vrutky, Kralovany, Ruzomberok (all three in Zilina region), Strba (Presov region) and Margecany (Kosice region). According to Raz, trains should be less overcrowded as a result of the new timetable.
The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party warned that decision to scrap InterCity (IC) trains will also affect people with health problems and disabilities, as having to travel almost 45 minutes longer between Bratislava and Kosice might be deleterious to their health.
PS MP Veronika Veslarova pointed out that people with disabilities are already discriminated against when traveling by train as it is. "Individuals bound to a wheelchair must plan their trips ahead and report them beforehand, a fact that deprives them of the flexibility enjoyed by others," she said.
Because of this, PS called on the government to reconsider the scrapping of IC trains and to adopt measures to enable equal access to transport for all citizens. PS warned that without IC trains, rail travel times on the Bratislava-Kosice route will lengthen, and it underlined that high-quality and rapid connections between the two largest Slovak cities is crucial for the development of the eastern region.
Source: TASR
