The Slovak government will extend the period during which discounted second-class train tickets are available, a measure introduced in response to rising fuel prices. Prime Minister Robert Fico announced the decision after a meeting at the Ministry of Transport.
According to the prime minister, the 50% discounts will remain in effect throughout November. They may also continue in December and, if necessary, be extended into next year, Fico said.
The prime minister noted that the number of rail passengers had increased since the discounts were introduced. As an example, he compared passenger numbers on 5 October in 2025 and 2026. There were 42,000 passengers on that date in 2025, compared with 52,000 in 2026. However, Fico did not mention that the dates fell on different days of the week: 5 October 2025 was a Sunday, while 5 October 2026 was a Monday. Nevertheless, he claimed that passenger numbers had also increased on other days.
Fico described the figures as encouraging but also highlighted problems affecting the railway network. In particular, rail traffic in Žilina has been disrupted for around a week following a fire near the railway station.
In addition to train tickets, the government will fund discounts on regional buses and urban public transport in regional capitals. The Trnava and Trenčín regions introduced the discounts on 1 October, while the other six regions plan to do so from 12 October. Discounts in cities are also expected to take effect on 12 October. According to Fico, these measures may also be extended if they prove effective.
The programme costs approximately €18 million per month. Around one-third of that amount goes towards rail travel, with the remainder allocated to buses and urban public transport.
At the same time, the prime minister again ruled out reducing VAT and excise duties on fuel. He also described cutting the value-added tax (VAT) on food to 19% as an inefficient use of public funds.
The opposition has criticised the government’s initiative, arguing that it does not help people without access to rail services or workers who need to travel by car with tools and equipment. Jan Hargaš, an MP from the Progresívne Slovensko party, called the discounts an expensive populist measure. Instead, he proposed using additional tax revenue from the Slovnaft oil refinery to provide targeted support for the most vulnerable households and affected industries.
