History of rail transport in Slovakia

The history of rail transport in Slovakia began in November 1836, at the founding meeting of the participating companies for the construction of a horse railway from Bratislava to Trnava (later extended to Sereď).

Following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 that created the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, transport issues became the responsibility of the Hungarian Government, which also inherited the duty to support local railway companies.

This system resulted in lower prices for passenger trips and goods transport but it induced a rapid increase in both and so higher overall profits.

They also joined the zone tariff system, and remained successful until the end of World War I when Austria-Hungary collapsed.

Nearly half (52%) of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's railways were built in Hungary, thus the railroad density there became higher than that of Cisleithania.

[2] After World War I and the Dissolution of Austria-Hungary and the Treaty of Trianon Upper Hungary became part of the First Czechoslovak Republic and with it the countries northern railway lines.

The historic Ružomberok railway station , in the Žilina Region of northern Slovakia
Development of Hungarian railways until WW1
Railway network of Kingdom of Hungary in 1913. Red lines represent the Hungarian State Railways. Blue, green and yellow lines were owned by private companies.