Slovak Transport Ministry Seeks to Recover €2.5 Million Erroneously Paid to Rail Operator Leo Express

Slovakia's Ministry of Transport has launched efforts to recover €2.5 million mistakenly paid to private rail operator Leo Express after ministry officials incorrectly calculated a state compensation payment owed to the contracted carrier. The error appears to have originated with civil servants who miscalculated the subsidy Leo Express was entitled to receive as a contracted public transport provider. The ministry, led by Transport Minister Jozef Ráž, is now pursuing repayment of the excess funds. Leo Express is a private railway company operating passenger train services in Slovakia under contract with the state, which subsidizes certain rail routes as part of the country's public transport obligations. Errors in calculating state compensation for such operators can have significant budgetary implications, and the ministry's move to reclaim the funds underscores the financial accountability concerns surrounding state contracts with private carriers.