As part of the IDS Východ project, the Prešov self-governing region is launching the 1st phase of the tact transport system on the line Prešov – Spišské Podhradie – Levoča – Poprad. Bus services serving cities and selected villages on the route will run at regular time intervals.
From September 1, 2023, a significant change to the timetables in the order of the Prešov Self-Governing Region (PSR) on the route Prešov – Poprad and back will apply. Suburban transport connections on this line will now run up to ten times a day in one direction during weekdays, or eight times a day in one direction during weekends and public holidays.
Most connections depart at regular 60-minute or 120-minute intervals. For example, departures from Prešov to Poprad on weekdays are at 4:13, 6:13, 7:13, 8:13, 9:13, 10:13, 12:13, 14:13, 15:13 (to Kežmarok), 16:13 and 18:13. This is an important step towards the goal of a weekly 60-minute connection interval in both directions on the suburban line Prešov – Poprad. From the regular December change of timetables, system connections from Levoča to Spišská Nová Ves and Kežmarok will also be ensured.
“Our basic goal is to attract as many new passengers as possible to public transport. We can only get them into a system that is reliable and easy to understand. We are therefore following the path of gradual application of tact timetables, thanks to which connections on the lines run at regular time intervals, with a minimum of exceptions and coordinated connections at transfer nodes,” said the president of the Prešov self-governing region, Milan Majerský.
Since an important aspect of the project is the integration of public transport, the arrivals and departures of connections in Poprad are time-coordinated with the arrivals and departures of long-distance trains and Tatra trams, so that it is possible to travel with a transfer either further to the west of the country or for a rest in the High Tatras. Likewise in the opposite direction.
There will also be other connections for travelers in the region. “Historically, bus transport was divided by the Branisko mountain range. Almost all connections ran in isolation – between Poprad and Spišské Podhradie from one side, or Prešov and Široké from the other side of the mountain range. This situation persisted to a significant extent until today, which we decided to correct. “Thanks to connecting the lines through the Branisko tunnel into a continuous connection, a number of interesting connections will be created, for example for passengers commuting from Spišské Podhradie to Prešov, or from Široké and surrounding municipalities to Levoča and Poprad,” added the chairman of PSK.
The connections of the new line stop at selected stops, serving Chminianska Nová Ves, Bertotovce, Hendrichovce, Fričovce, Široké, Spišské Podhradie, Nemešany, Klčov, Spišský Hrhov, Levoča, Spišský Štvrtok, Jánovce, Hôrka, Švábovce and Hozelec.
As part of the next phases of the project, especially with changes to the timetables in December of this year and July of next year, regular connections to connecting lines will be added (especially in the directions of Kežmarok, Spišská Nová Ves, Krompachy and Sabinov), existing connections will be improved and missing connections on the main line will be gradually added, with the aim of creating a 60-minute interval of connections on the line throughout the week, capacity strengthened during weekdays by connections in the Prešov – Široké and Poprad – Spišské Podhradie sections.
Cestovný poriadok linky Prešov – Poprad (PDF. 205 kB).
Press release: PSR, IDS Východ
Photo: shutterstock
