BRATISLAVA, February 16, (WEBNOVINY) – The one- or two-month delay of the prepared revitalization program for the passenger rail company Zeleznicna Spolocnost Slovensko (ZSSK), which was supposed to begin in March, will cause a monthly loss of a few millions of euros. A longer postponement would seriously jeopardize the intention to achieve a balanced economic performance this year, the company’s management warned at a meeting on Wednesday with the State Secretary of the Transport, Construction and Regional Development Arpad Ersek and Director General of the ministry’s railway transport and railroads division Jiri Kubacek. ZSSK spokesperson Alexander Buzinkay added that Ersek inquired about details of the revitalization process and the business plan blueprint for this year.
ZSSK bodies have already greenlighted the plan and recommended its approval to the stockholder, the Transport Ministry. The managers and the state secretary agreed upon the need to speed up the review process to eliminate the risks of losses as much as possible. Unless a decision is made, the state will have to cover ZSSK’s loss,” Ersek underscored. Also, the involved parties concluded that counties should take a stance on the limitation of regional passenger trains as soon as possible. “The latest version of the reduction will be sent to counties and we expect that they comment on it by the end of next week,” Chairman of BoD and ZSSK Director General Pavel Kravec went on to say. Ersek promised that he would meet with county chairpersons to talk about the planned reduction if necessary.
SITA