Transport in Slovakia is possible by rail, road, air, or rivers. Slovakia is a developed Central European country with a well-developed rail network (3,662 km) and a highway system (854 km). The main international airport is the M. R. Štefánik Airport in the capital, Bratislava. The most important waterway is the river Danube, which is used by passenger, cargo, and freight ships. The two most important harbours in Slovakia are Komarno harbour and Bratislava harbour.[citation needed]
Main article: Rail transport in Slovakia |
Further information: Železnice Slovenskej republiky |
Slovakia has a range of railway connections that provide access to all of Slovakia in the country and from the rest of Europe. There are many railway operators that control railways across the country, with the main railway operator being ZSSK. The railway network is very dense in the western and eastern parts of Slovakia but is less accessible in central Slovakia. The singular high-speed rail line in Slovakia is the Rychlik between Bratislava and Kosice (Via Zillina). The top speed of the line is 200 km/h (120 mph). The Rychlik was established in 2002 after ZSSK took over ZSR. Most of the country's railways run on Tas REX (Regional Express)[1] [2] which operates at speeds between 140 and 160 km/h (87 and 99 mph).
The main cargo train operator for the cargo freight rail in Slovakia is ZSSK cargo.
See also: List of first class roads in Slovakia |
Slovakia has a total of 43,761 km of roads in the country with 3,336.6 km being main or national roads, 13,958.7 km being secondary and regional roads, and 861.2 km (535.1 mi) being highways, with the rest being other types of roads.[3]
Main article: Highways in Slovakia |
Motorways in Slovakia 543 km (337 mi) (2022)
Expressways in Slovakia 311 km (193 mi)
Main article: List of airports in Slovakia |
Commercial airports: Bratislava Airport, Košice International Airport, Poprad–Tatry Airport
Length | Amount |
---|---|
over 3,047 m | 2 |
2,438 to 3,047 m | 2 |
1,524 to 2,437 m | 3 |
914 to 1,523 m | 3 |
under 914 m | 9 |
Total | 19 |
Most towns and cities in Slovakia have well-developed bus networks. Most of the buses are operated by the city or town council but most regional buses are operated by private operators with the permission of local authorities and/or the county council. There is also a trolleybus system which only operates in large cities and is operated by the town council. They are more of an ecological system of transport than a standard bus.
Trams are only found in Bratislava and Kosice. The first tram to arrive in Slovakia was in 1895 in Bratislava and then later on in 1913 trams arrived in Kosice[citation needed]. Today the tram network is expanding rapidly in both cities.