CIERNA NAD TISOU/DOBRA, January 21, (WEBNOVINY) – The project of wide-gauge railway track might under certain circumstances be beneficial and rational for investments, said Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Jan Figel in Cierna nad Tisou, in eastern Slovakia, on Friday. “A wide-gauge railway in Slovakia is a reality and a very important part of the overall economic and regional development not only in the east, but in the entire Slovakia,” Figel underscored.
The minister further said that the topic of wide-gauge railway track in Slovakia is a very serious and important matter. “We are currently in Dobra, from where a wide-gauge track goes as far as to Kosice. The Slovak government and I personally support steps to revitalize railway transport also on the wide track. What we need from the viewpoint of the wide-gauge track and its extension is a final evaluation of the preliminary feasibility study, which was elaborated and ready in December 2010. We will decide on future steps based on assessing it,” Figel added.
The transport minister reacted to words of President of the Russian Railway Vladimir Yakunin, who thanked him for the support of the revitalization of the wide-gauge track in Slovakia and its extension to Vienna. Yakunin reminded that a feasibility study was completed in December which proved that the project is economically advantageous and feasible. He emphasized that the intention to build the wide-gauge track is not a Slovak or Russian project, but an international one, in which also Ukraine and Austria are interested.
The feasibility study of the broad-gauge railway, carried out by German consulting firm Roland Berger confirmed that extending broad-gauge railway track by 450 kilometers is technically and legally feasible. According to it, the project would create 11,000 new jobs as well as bring economic benefit to all involved countries. Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, and Austria should decide by the end of January whether they will go ahead with the project with estimated construction costs of EUR 6.3 billion. Further EUR 240 million will be needed for construction of terminals.
It is estimated that the investment could be supported by transport companies, with a certain participation of involved countries. According to Figel, the project is very complex, in a way even intercontinental, and therefore requires not only a thorough consideration, but also strategic decisions. According to earlier statements, the Cabinet wants to analyze the results of the study, while in the government program statement it is written that “The Government of the Slovak Republic does not support the project”.
SITA