Croatia invests 55 million euros: railway modernization for holidaymakers!

Croatia invests 55 million euros: railway modernization for holidaymakers!

Croatia is launching an ambitious project to renovate its railway infrastructure in the popular holiday region of Istria. With a total volume of 55 million euros, the school is being extensively renovated from the Slovenian border to the village of Sveti Petar u Šumi. The construction work, which will be carried out by the Austrian construction company Strabag, is expected to take three years and will begin at the end of May 2025 Mercury reported.

This renovation affects a 50-kilometer stretch of the Divača-Pula railway line, which provides an important connection for millions of tourists from Germany, Austria and Slovenia. Popular travel destinations such as Rovinj, Opatija, Umag, Novigrad, Poreč, Pula and Rabac attract numerous visitors every year and benefit from improved transport connections.

Scope of the renovation measures

The investments in railway infrastructure are part of a larger plan to renew and modernize Croatia's aging railway network, which is being funded with a total of 1.5 billion euros. These funds mainly come from EU funding and loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Butković stated that the current construction phase covers a third of the entire railway reconstruction in Istria, which has a total length of 144 kilometers Locomotive Report.

The project not only includes the renewal of rails, sleepers and switches, but also the modernization of bridges, signaling and traffic control systems as well as the renovation of 21 level crossings. In addition, a study is being carried out to electrify the entire section to further improve connectivity in the region.

Long-term goals of railway renewal

Individual studies on connecting the railway infrastructure to the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and on future electrification are also in preparation. A study that has already been completed concerns the section from Lupoglav to Raša. The new tunnel is intended to create an important connection point for integrating the railway in Istria into the Mediterranean corridor.

The overall concept also aims to improve connections for employees from central Istria in order to enable commuters to better reach jobs. The modernizations also include the installation of half-barriers as well as light and sound signaling systems at the existing railway and road crossings in order to increase safety standards.

The extensive construction work will not only improve accessibility for tourists, but will also strengthen the economic situation of the region, which is of great importance for Croatia.