History of Department

Department of Railway Transport, resp. The study program Rail Transport has been operating in various forms since the very beginning of the university in 1953, ie for more than 65 years.

In 1960, the University of Transport with three faculties was relocated from Prague to Žilina. After moving to Žilina, the University of Transport had the Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport, the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and the Faculty of Military.

During its existence, the Department had different names (Department of Train Transport Organization, Department of Railway Transport and Transportation), it underwent several organizational and structural changes, but its original profile has been preserved until now.

The following have been acted as the head of the department since its establishment:

• prof. Dr. Josef Starý,
• prof. Ing. Jaroslav Racek,
• prof. JUDR. Alexander Petrovský,
• assoc. prof.. Ing. Bedřich Bureš,
• assoc. prof.. Ing. Henrich Klečka, CSc.,
• assoc. prof.. Ing. Jan Daněk, CSc.,
• assoc. prof.. Ing. Jaroslav Vonka, CSc.,
• assoc. prof.. Ing. František Flodr, CSc.,
• prof. Ing. Vojtech Petro, CSc.,
• assoc. prof.. Ing. Eva Adamicová, CSc.,
• prof. Ing. Karel Voleský, CSc.,
• assoc. prof.. Ing. Milan Kováč, PhD.,
• prof. Ing. Jozef Majerčák, PhD.

After the Department moved from the center of Žilina to new premises in the Veľký Diel complex, a new specialized transport laboratory was put into operation since 1994.
Currently, the transport laboratory is undergoing a comprehensive reconstruction.

In 1996, the name of the University of Transport and Communications was changed to the University of Žilina in Žilina. The Department of Railway Transport is currently a stable part of the Faculty of Operation and Economics of Transport and Communications.