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Bosnia-Hercegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина).
Bosnia-Hercegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина).


The country is largely decentralized and comprises two autonomous entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, with a third region, the Brčko District, governed locally. The central government's power is highly limited, as The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is itself complex and consists of 10 cantons.
The country is largely decentralized and comprises two autonomous entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (generally known as 'the Federation') and Republika Srpska, with a third region, the Brčko District, governed locally. The central government's power is highly limited, because the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is itself complex and consists of 10 cantons.


==National Railway System==
==National Railway System==
The Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation each has its own railway company. BHŽJK [Bosansko Hercegovačka Željeznička Javna Korporacija] is the umbrella organisation that co-ordinates the activities of the two railway companies. It has offices in Doboj.
The Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia Hercegovina each has its own railway company. BHŽJK [Bosansko Hercegovačka Željeznička Javna Korporacija] is the umbrella organisation that co-ordinates the activities of the two railway companies. It has offices in Doboj.


===National Railway Operators===
===National Railway Operators===
* In the Republika Srpska: Željeznice Republike Srpske [http://www.zrs-rs.com/ ŽRS].  
* In the Republika Srpska: Željeznice Republike Srpske [http://www.zrs-rs.com/ ŽRS].  
* In the Muslim-Croat Federation: Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine [http://www.zfbh.ba/ ŽFBH], formerly ŽBH).
* In the Federation: Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine [http://www.zfbh.ba/ ŽFBH], formerly ŽBH). The current timetable can be found at [http://www.zfbh.ba/zfbhbax/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=116]
   
   
The boundary stations between the two entities are as follows:
The boundary stations between the two entities are as follows:


{|  width="100%"
{|  width="60%"
| '''Line'''
| '''Line'''
| '''Boundary Stations'''
| '''Boundary Stations'''
|
|-
|-
| Novi Grad - Martin Brod; no passenger service
| Novi Grad - Martin Brod
| Blatna ŽRS - Otoka Bosanska ŽFBH
| Blatna ŽRS - Otoka Bosanska ŽFBH
| ŽFBH operates to Novi Grad
|-
|-
| Doboj - Sarajevo
| Doboj - Sarajevo
| Rječica ŽRS - Maglaj ŽFBH
| Rječica ŽRS - Maglaj ŽFBH
| ŽFBH operates to Doboj
|-
|-
| Brčko - Kreka (- Tuzla); no passenger service
| Doboj - Kreka (- Tuzla)
| Miričina ŽRS - Dobošnica ŽFBH
|-
| Brčko - Kreka (- Tuzla)
| Brčko ŽRS - Bukovac ŽFBH
| Brčko ŽRS - Bukovac ŽFBH
| ŽFBH operates to Brčko (and into Croatia on cross-border trains)
|-
|-
| (Tuzla -) Bosanska Poljana - Zvornik Novi; no passenger service
| (Tuzla -) Bosanska Poljana - Zvornik Novi
| Kalesija ŽFBH - Caparde ŽRS  
| Kalesija ŽFBH - Caparde ŽRS  
| ŽFBH operates to Zvornik Novi
|}
|}
So far as passenger trains are concerned, ŽRS operates between Volinja (Croatia) and Doboj, plus local trains between Doboj and Maglaj.  ŽFBH operates from Doboj to Tuzla, Sarajevo and Capljina.  ŽFBH works freight south and east of Doboj, except that ŽRS runs between Zwornik Novi and Brasina (Serbia). ŽFBH also works any trains on the Martin Brod line, with transfer to/from ŽRS at Blatna or Novi Grad.


==Language==
==Language==
Line 39: Line 39:


==Currency==
==Currency==
Konvertibilna Marka (Convertible Mark), symbol KM. 1 KM was set = 1 Deutsche Mark. Since replacement of the Mark by the euro in 2002, KM use the same fixed exchange rate to the Euro (1.95583) as the Deutsche Mark. Euro notes (not coins) are widely accepted.
Konvertibilna Marka (Convertible Mark), symbol KM. 1 KM was set = 1 Deutsche Mark. Since introduction of the Euro in 2002, KM use the same fixed exchange rate to the Euro (1.95583) as the Deutsche Mark. Euro notes (not coins) are widely accepted.


==UIC code==
==UIC code==
Line 48: Line 48:
==Timetable==
==Timetable==
===Journey Planner===
===Journey Planner===
*The [http://www.zrs-rs.com/red_voznje.php ŽRS website] provides a drop down list of stations, which gives both departures and arrivals at that station.
*The [http://www.zrs-rs.com/red_voznje.php ŽRS website] provides a drop down list of stations, which gives both departures and arrivals at that station. For 2017/18 immediately below this is the link to the Timetable PDFs.
*The [http://www.zfbh.ba/zfbhenx/konekcija_en.php ŽFBH website] provides a drop down list of stations, for which either 'departures' or 'arrivals' can be selected.
*The [https://www.zfbh.ba/en/red-voznje/ ŽFBH website] provides a point to point journey planner


===Downloadable Timetable===
===Downloadable Timetable===
* A [[media:ZRS2014-2015.pdf |2014-2015 downloadable timetable]] for ŽRS has been found and copied onto this site, but the source is not known.
* ŽRS [https://www.zrs-rs.com/files/zrs_red_voznje/zrs_red_voznje.pdf 2018-2019 PDF timetable]  
* [http://www.zfbh.ba/zfbhbax/Ispravni2014-2015.pdf ŽFBH]
* None found for ŽFBH but a good unofficial timetable in German, [http://www.ec-tobias.de/service/Kursbuch_BS_18.pdf Linien- und Tabellenfahrpläne] has 2017/18 information that covers ŽFBH services but it should be verified against local information.


===Printed Timetable===
===Printed Timetable===
* ŽRS publishes a timetable in booklet form "Red Voznje" that also includes many ŽFBH services, particularly around the ŽRS/ŽFBH border areas.  
Timetable booklets have been seen for both ŽRS and ŽFBH services, but these are not widely available. Passengers have to rely on departure sheets at stations, but these may not be correct.
* ŽFBH does not publish a timetable book, but schedules are posted in stations.  
 
===Engineering Information===
===Engineering Information===
None.  
None.  
Line 65: Line 64:
===Printed Maps===
===Printed Maps===
*European Railway Atlas: Scandinavia and Eastern Europe by M.G. Ball (1993) (ISBN 0-7110-2072-4)
*European Railway Atlas: Scandinavia and Eastern Europe by M.G. Ball (1993) (ISBN 0-7110-2072-4)
*[http://www.europeanrailwayatlas.com/index.html European Railway Atlas] by M.G. Ball (2008 onwards)
*[http://www.europeanrailwayatlas.com European Railway Atlas] by M.G. Ball (2008 onwards)
 
===Web-based Maps===
===Web-based Maps===
*Thorsten Büker's [http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_croatia---slovenia---bosnia-hercegovina.php Map of Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Hercegovina].
*Thorsten Büker's [http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_croatia---slovenia---bosnia-hercegovina.php Map of Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Hercegovina].
Line 73: Line 73:
===Infrastructure Authority===
===Infrastructure Authority===
It is believed there is no separate Infrastructure Authority in either Republika Srpska or the Muslim-Croat Federation.
It is believed there is no separate Infrastructure Authority in either Republika Srpska or the Muslim-Croat Federation.
ZFBH infrastructure page [https://www.zfbh.ba/infrastruktura/ here}


===Network Statement===
===Network Statement===
* [http://www.zfbh.ba/zfbhbax/Images/Izjava%20o%20mrezi/IZJAVA%20O%20MREZI.pdf ŽFBH] in Bosnian only and dated 2009, but it is unlikely much has changed.
* ŽFBH: none known. The link to an old network statement is broken.  
* ZRS: none known
* ZRS: none known


Line 85: Line 86:


===Rule of the road===
===Rule of the road===
Right.
Right, but there is very little double track.


===Distances===
===Distances===
Line 104: Line 105:


==Recent and future changes==
==Recent and future changes==
The daily pair from Doboj - Šamac was withdrawn from an unknown date in late 2014/early 2015.
Novi Grad - Blatna - Bihać reopened to passengers on 3 July 2018, following an inaugural train the previous day. Damaged electrification equipment between Blatna and Bihać has been reinstated. The one train each way is an extension of the Sarajevo - Banja Luka Talgo service, calling at Novi Grad.
 
All passenger trains south of Sarajevo were withdrawn from 5 October 2015 to allow for track renewals with a footnote in the ŽFBH timetable  saying they would not run until the construction work was complete. A daily Talgo service to Čapljina resumed with effect from Thursday 8 June 2017 as per [http://www.zfbh.ba/zfbhenx/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=27 this notice], plus a summer only pair until 31 August.  It had been hoped to resume a seasonal train to Ploče in April 2017 but there is no mention of this.  


The international train between Sarajevo and Ploče ceased at the December 2013 timetable change, withdrawing services over the Čapljina border crossing.  
The international train between Sarajevo and Ploče ceased at the December 2013 timetable change, withdrawing services over the Čapljina border crossing.  
From 1 December 2012 passenger trains ceased on the Novi Grad - Bihać and Tuzla - Brčko lines. The cross border line from Šamac ŽRS to Slavonski Šamac HŽ also closed and consequently services have ceased from Srpska-Kostajnica (the junction station north of Doboj) to Šamac ŽRS.
 
From 1 December 2012 passenger trains ceased on the Novi Grad - Bihać and Tuzla - Brčko lines. The cross border line from Šamac ŽRS to Slavonski Šamac HŽ also closed and services ceased from Srpska-Kostajnica (the junction station north of Doboj) to Šamac ŽRS in late 2014/early 2015.


A passenger service was introduced on the Brčko - Gunja cross-border route into Croatia in the 2002/2003 timetable but was withdrawn by the end of the 2009/2010 timetable period.
A passenger service was introduced on the Brčko - Gunja cross-border route into Croatia in the 2002/2003 timetable but was withdrawn by the end of the 2009/2010 timetable period.


A number of passenger services ceased during the war (1991 onwards): prospects for re-opening are slim though all (except Modriča - Gradačac and Martin Brod - Knin) carry freight traffic:
A number of passenger services ceased during the war (1991 onwards) and prospects for re-opening are slim.  All (except Modriča - Gradačac and Martin Brod - Knin) carry freight traffic, but in some cases this is very limited:
* Podlugovi - Vareš  
* Podlugovi - Vareš  
* Modriča - Gradačac  
* Modriča - Gradačac  
Line 118: Line 122:
* Bihać - Martin Brod - Knin (Croatia)
* Bihać - Martin Brod - Knin (Croatia)
   
   
A new route from Valjevo via Zvornik (in Serbia) to Tuzla (in Bosnia-Hercegovina) was started before the break-up of Yugoslavia. Completion of the Zvornik to Tuzla section was interrupted by the war in 1991 but has since been largely finished. The line carries no regular traffic but has seen occasional SFOR military traffic. Note that this line is shown wrongly, or not at all, on many maps, and actually runs from Rasputnica [= junction] Donja Borina, just south of Brasina on the line to Zvornik Grad, via a cross-border river bridge to Zvornik Novi (where there is a large works) then on to Caparde and Kalesija before ending at Živinice, which is on a freight line south from Tuzla. The Beograd - Banja Luka service was intended to run this way but runs instead via Šamac (see above), possibly because of the SFOR traffic and poor track condition on the ŽS (former JŽ) line between Ruma and Zvornik. Work on the Valjevo to Zvornik section was stopped - some construction work can be seen at the Valjevo end - but there are plans of a restart using EU finance.
With passenger services reduced to routes between the major cities, further withdrawals would seem unlikely. However, the railway uses outdated rolling stock to compete with modern coach services, mostly using air-conditioned vehicles, on improved roads.  The planned introduction of Talgo trains between Sarajevo and Ploče is a first sign of improvement.  The European Commission's West Balkans Investment Framework included provision for upgrading railways, including the border crossing from Croatia at Šamac  to Ploče via Sarajevo, Novi Grad to Zwornik Novo and Brčko to Tuzla. The ŽFBH line through Bihać does not feature in the plans and, with only limited freight traffic, its future appeared to be in doubt. However, in May 2017 Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia agreed to seek EU funding to reopen the line between Novi Grad (Bosanski Novi) and Knin.
 
There are optimistic plans by ŽRS to connect the isolated Bijeljina - Velino Selo - Sid ŽS (former JŽ) line to the Doboj - Šamac line, branching off just north of Milosevac on the Šamac line and running through Brčko to Bijeljina. This would provide a direct link to Serbia, to eliminate the need to cross into Croatia or the Muslim-Croat Federation, and would connect the western and southern parts of the Republika Srpska.


==Special Notes==
==Special Notes==

Revision as of 16:10, 10 December 2018

Country Name

Bosnia-Hercegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина).

The country is largely decentralized and comprises two autonomous entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (generally known as 'the Federation') and Republika Srpska, with a third region, the Brčko District, governed locally. The central government's power is highly limited, because the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is itself complex and consists of 10 cantons.

National Railway System

The Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia Hercegovina each has its own railway company. BHŽJK [Bosansko Hercegovačka Željeznička Javna Korporacija] is the umbrella organisation that co-ordinates the activities of the two railway companies. It has offices in Doboj.

National Railway Operators

  • In the Republika Srpska: Željeznice Republike Srpske ŽRS.
  • In the Federation: Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine ŽFBH, formerly ŽBH). The current timetable can be found at [1]

The boundary stations between the two entities are as follows:

Line Boundary Stations
Novi Grad - Martin Brod Blatna ŽRS - Otoka Bosanska ŽFBH
Doboj - Sarajevo Rječica ŽRS - Maglaj ŽFBH
Doboj - Kreka (- Tuzla) Miričina ŽRS - Dobošnica ŽFBH
Brčko - Kreka (- Tuzla) Brčko ŽRS - Bukovac ŽFBH
(Tuzla -) Bosanska Poljana - Zvornik Novi Kalesija ŽFBH - Caparde ŽRS

So far as passenger trains are concerned, ŽRS operates between Volinja (Croatia) and Doboj, plus local trains between Doboj and Maglaj. ŽFBH operates from Doboj to Tuzla, Sarajevo and Capljina. ŽFBH works freight south and east of Doboj, except that ŽRS runs between Zwornik Novi and Brasina (Serbia). ŽFBH also works any trains on the Martin Brod line, with transfer to/from ŽRS at Blatna or Novi Grad.

Language

Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian according to area.

Currency

Konvertibilna Marka (Convertible Mark), symbol KM. 1 KM was set = 1 Deutsche Mark. Since introduction of the Euro in 2002, KM use the same fixed exchange rate to the Euro (1.95583) as the Deutsche Mark. Euro notes (not coins) are widely accepted.

UIC code

  • ŽFBH: numeric 50; alpha BIH
  • ŽRS: numeric 44; alpha BIH

Originally, ŽFBH was allocated code 89. When ŽRS was later formed, the ŽFBH code was changed to 50. However, the alpha codes for both systems are apparently BIH.

Timetable

Journey Planner

  • The ŽRS website provides a drop down list of stations, which gives both departures and arrivals at that station. For 2017/18 immediately below this is the link to the Timetable PDFs.
  • The ŽFBH website provides a point to point journey planner

Downloadable Timetable

Printed Timetable

Timetable booklets have been seen for both ŽRS and ŽFBH services, but these are not widely available. Passengers have to rely on departure sheets at stations, but these may not be correct.

Engineering Information

None.

Maps

Printed Maps

  • European Railway Atlas: Scandinavia and Eastern Europe by M.G. Ball (1993) (ISBN 0-7110-2072-4)
  • European Railway Atlas by M.G. Ball (2008 onwards)

Web-based Maps

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

It is believed there is no separate Infrastructure Authority in either Republika Srpska or the Muslim-Croat Federation. ZFBH infrastructure page [https://www.zfbh.ba/infrastruktura/ here}

Network Statement

  • ŽFBH: none known. The link to an old network statement is broken.
  • ZRS: none known

Gauge

Standard.

Electrification

25kV 50Hz.

Rule of the road

Right, but there is very little double track.

Distances

  • ŽFBH: in the appendices of the Network Statement
  • ZRS: none known

Other Railways

None.

Tourist Lines

None.

Metro

None.

Trams

Sarajevo.

Recent and future changes

Novi Grad - Blatna - Bihać reopened to passengers on 3 July 2018, following an inaugural train the previous day. Damaged electrification equipment between Blatna and Bihać has been reinstated. The one train each way is an extension of the Sarajevo - Banja Luka Talgo service, calling at Novi Grad.

All passenger trains south of Sarajevo were withdrawn from 5 October 2015 to allow for track renewals with a footnote in the ŽFBH timetable saying they would not run until the construction work was complete. A daily Talgo service to Čapljina resumed with effect from Thursday 8 June 2017 as per this notice, plus a summer only pair until 31 August. It had been hoped to resume a seasonal train to Ploče in April 2017 but there is no mention of this.

The international train between Sarajevo and Ploče ceased at the December 2013 timetable change, withdrawing services over the Čapljina border crossing.

From 1 December 2012 passenger trains ceased on the Novi Grad - Bihać and Tuzla - Brčko lines. The cross border line from Šamac ŽRS to Slavonski Šamac HŽ also closed and services ceased from Srpska-Kostajnica (the junction station north of Doboj) to Šamac ŽRS in late 2014/early 2015.

A passenger service was introduced on the Brčko - Gunja cross-border route into Croatia in the 2002/2003 timetable but was withdrawn by the end of the 2009/2010 timetable period.

A number of passenger services ceased during the war (1991 onwards) and prospects for re-opening are slim. All (except Modriča - Gradačac and Martin Brod - Knin) carry freight traffic, but in some cases this is very limited:

  • Podlugovi - Vareš
  • Modriča - Gradačac
  • Tuzla - Živinice - Banovići
  • Omarska - Tomašica
  • Bihać - Martin Brod - Knin (Croatia)

With passenger services reduced to routes between the major cities, further withdrawals would seem unlikely. However, the railway uses outdated rolling stock to compete with modern coach services, mostly using air-conditioned vehicles, on improved roads. The planned introduction of Talgo trains between Sarajevo and Ploče is a first sign of improvement. The European Commission's West Balkans Investment Framework included provision for upgrading railways, including the border crossing from Croatia at Šamac to Ploče via Sarajevo, Novi Grad to Zwornik Novo and Brčko to Tuzla. The ŽFBH line through Bihać does not feature in the plans and, with only limited freight traffic, its future appeared to be in doubt. However, in May 2017 Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia agreed to seek EU funding to reopen the line between Novi Grad (Bosanski Novi) and Knin.

Special Notes

Under no circumstances should disused railway lines or installations be explored, because they may not have been cleared of mines.

See also