Railways in Slovakia: Current State and Perspectives of High-Speed Lines

High-speed railways (HSR) represent an important element of modern transport infrastructure for efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly transport. The aim of the article is to analyse the current status, challenges, and perspectives of the implementation of HSR in Slovakia and the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The main research results show that Slovakia has a dense railway network but outdated infrastructure with limited capacity and low line speeds, complicating high-speed line integration. Within the V4 countries, the development of HSR is diverse – the Czech Republic is planning an extensive network, Hungary is focusing on connecting to the Balkans, Poland is developing the CPK project with the ambition of creating a central transport hub and the Rail Baltica line connecting the Baltics. In Slovakia, the main challenges are insufficient funding, modernization of key corridors, and connection to the European TEN-T network. Nevertheless, HSR brings significant potential for improving mobility, supporting regional development, and protecting the environment.