Slovakia plans high-speed line from Bratislava, €3.06bn

ŽSR presented the results of the national feasibility study for the VRT V4 high-speed line: of 38 alternatives examined, a conservative preferred variant remained that expands the Bratislava hub; new routes across the Danube were not recommended because of environmental constraints, difficult terrain and an unfavourable benefit-cost ratio. Its core is a new Bratislava západ station near Stupava, a double-track tunnel between the main station and Lamač, a Lamač–Zohor line for up to 160 km/h and a new line to the Czech border for up to 320 km/h; phase 1 (Bratislava hub) is planned for 2030 to 2040 and completion of the whole line for 2046/2050, with costs estimated at about EUR 3.062 billion. Presented on 23 January 2026; the date is a placeholder: the article names 2046 or 2050, and the end of 2050 is used. (LOK Report, 6 Feb 2026; second source: ŽSR, 23 Jan 2026)