Get your tracks in order, České dráhy urge Slovakia
České dráhy claims that the condition of the tracks in Slovakia increases the cost of vehicle maintenance and is the reason for frequent delays.
České dráhy has lost patience with the state of railways in Slovakia. The company’s management has sent a letter to the Slovakian railway infrastructure manager, Železnice Slovenskej republiky (ŽSR), urging it to remedy the critical condition of tracks and switches in Slovakia.
The letter was prompted by the derailment of a ČD pendolino in Žilina on March 1, most likely caused by a damaged switch. In the letter, the operator “expresses its concern” about individual technical problems, claiming that they are causing delays and subsequently disruptions to rail services in the Czech Republic. The technical deficiencies are also the reason for increased maintenance costs for ČD vehicles running on ŽSR infrastructure and lead to a higher demand for replacement vehicles.
České dráhy has asked the Slovak infrastructure manager to take immediate remedial action and to publish a schedule of repair works that will lead to the elimination of the defects on ŽSR infrastructure. ŽSR did not respond to questions sent yesterday.
Edited and translated by Lucie Trávníčková