Croatia - General Information

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Country Name

Croatia (Hrvatska)

National railway system

National Railway Operator

Hrvatske Željeznice

Language

Croatian.

Currency

Kuna

UIC code

numeric 78; alpha HR

Timetable

Journey Planner

HŽPP Passengers

Downloadable Timetable

The 2020-2021 timetable can be downloaded from this website [1] or directly from here 2020-2021 timetable

Printed Timetable

Vozni Red, published annually. This includes introductory material in German. Presentation is straightforward, with use of standard symbols.

Engineering Information

Go to the HŽ Infrastruktura page, scroll down to the map and click on the relevant marker. A pop-up in English gives details of the services affected. However the Croatian language page is likely to be kept more up to date.

Bus Information

The largest company is Croatia Bus

Maps

Printed Maps

Web-based Maps

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

HŽ Infrastruktura d.o.o. is a subsidiary of HŽ.

Network Statement

The Network Statement can be downloaded from the Network Statement page.

Gauge

Standard.

Tram Systems are 1000 mm gauge.

Electrification

25 kV 50 Hz. Moravice to Šapjane via Rijeka was 3 kV dc, but this was progressively switched to 25 kV 50 Hz on various dates in December 2012. The European Commission has approved funding to electrify Zaprešić – Zabok, to be completed by 2023.

Rule of the road

Right.

Distances

km post distances are given for each station in Annex 3.13 of the Network Statement.

Private railways

None.

Tourist lines

None.

Metro

None.

Trams/LRT-Systems

Osijek, Zagreb.

The UrabnRailNet site has basic diagrams of the tramway systems along with links to the local operators.

A Track plan for the Zagreb tram system is available on the Gleisplanweb site.

Links at Sinfin.net site

See also Croatia - Tram services over obscure routes

Recent and future changes

Future changes

The EU Cohesion Fund is to meet 85% of the cost designing a new double-track route to replace the 50 km Karlovac – Oštarije section of the Zagreb – Rijeka route. Under the terms of the agreement this must be complete by the end of 2023.

Zaprešić - Zabok is to be electrified, with associated trackwork to include some realignments. Completion is now planned in 2023.

Contracts for electrification of Vinkovci - Vukovar were signed in December 2019.

Recent changes

The cross border line from Erdut to Bogojevo (Serbia) has no trains in the 2020-2021 timetable starting 13 December 2020, and quite possibly no service since 12 March 2020 due to Covid 19 restrictions.

The 12.2 km cut-off linking Gradec on the Zagreb – Križevci – Koprivnica line with Sveti Ivan Žabno on the Križevci – Bjelovar branch opened on 15 December 2019. A new table 22 was created in the timetable.

Passenger services from Beli Manastir to Magyarboly (Hungary) restarted from 9 December 2018

Passenger services were restored over the whole of the Banova Jaruga – Daruvar – Pčelić route (table 41) on 5 February 2018. However, there appear to be no plans at present to reopen Čaglin - Našice Grad (table 42).

The only passenger service [a pair of day trains between Sarajevo and Zagreb] using the Dobrljin ŽRS - Volinja HŽ border crossing were withdrawn at the December 2016 Timetable change

The following lines reopened at the timetable change on 14 December 2015:

  • 30/47 Erdut - Bogojevo (Serbia)
  • 42 Pleternica - Čaglin

and the following line lost its passenger service

  • 61 Bubnjarci - Metlika (Slovenia) [Subsequently reopened from an unknown date]

The following lines reopened at the timetable change on 14 December 2014:

  • 13 Đurmanec - Sveti Rok ob Sotli (Slovenia)
  • 17 Macinec - Središče (Slovenia)
  • 18 Mursko Središče - Lendava (Slovenia)
  • 31 Beli Manastir - Magyarbóly (Hungary) but was suspended soon afterwards due to the refugee crisis.

As part of an economy programme, services over the following lines were withdrawn from 24 April 2014:

  • 41 Banova Jaruga – Daruvar
  • 45 Strizivojna-Vrpolje – Slavonski Šamac
  • 74 Ploče – Metković
  • 71 Knin – Zadar, although this is supposedly only whilst major engineering work is undertaken.

The following changes were made with the 2013-2014 timetable commencing 15 December 2013:

  • 61 The cross border (Karlovac -) Kamanje HŽ - Rosalnice SŽ (- Metlika) service was reinstated
  • 74 The international train between Sarajevo and Ploče was withdrawn leaving just local Metkovic - Ploče services [but see above]. This was the opposite of what was announced earler by HZ.

The following changes were made with the 2012-2013 timetable commencing 9 December 2012:

  • 12 The cross border (Čakovec -) Kotoriba HŽ - Murakeresztúr MÁV service lost all passenger services.
  • 31 The cross border line from Beli Manastir to Magyarboldy (MÁV) lost all passenger services
  • 45 The cross border line from (Strizivojna-Vrpolje -) Slavonski Šamac HŽ - Šamac ŽFBH - (Doboj) closed
  • 47 Vukovar Borovo Naselje - Dalj lost all passenger services, whereupon
  • 47a Vukovar Borovo Naselje - Vukovar was increased from 1 daily service to/from Zagreb to up to 5 pairs a day to/from Vinkovci
  • 61 The cross border (Karlovac -) Kamanje HŽ - Rosalnice SŽ (- Metlika) service was withdrawn.
  • 90 Lupoglav - Buzet had a passenger service only at Easter and summer 2012, but was not shown as running in 2013 so the last train ran in August 2012.

The following changes were made in the 2010/2011 Timetable:

  • 17 Macinec - Središče (Slovenia) Line closed 11 December 2010
  • 32 Bizovac - Belišće: Officially closed to passenger on 11 December 2010
  • 42 Partial reopening: 2 train pairs from Osijek travel 3 km to Našice Grad for onward buses to Pleternica. All other service are provided by buses from the junction station at Našice.
  • 48 (Drenovci -) Gunja - Brčko (Bosnia-Hercegovina) lost its sole cross-border service 11 December 2010
  • 71 Knin - Zadar, which had been under threat of closure, was reduced from five to three pairs a day.
  • 90 Lupoglav - Buzet, the cross-border service to Slovenia was reduced to 1 Easter & Summer-only train each way.

It had been widely reported that all Croatia - Hungary cross-border lines would lose their local passenger services but they continued for one futher year before withdrawal on 9 December 2012.

It was reported early in 2010 that HŽ planned to withdraw over 200 passenger trains, resulting in a number of lines having no service at weekends. On 5 May 2010 the Ministry of Transport rejected this list but announced "temporary closure" of 3 lines from 16 May owing to track defects, with resulting bus substitutions. Therefore on 17 May 2010 the following sections lost all train services:

  • 41 part: Sirač- Pčelić
  • 42 part: Pleternica - Našice
  • Knin - Licko Dugo Polje (on the line to Bihac, where passenger services had been suspended since the civil war) lost its remaining freight traffic.

The following routes were reinstated in the 2008/2009 timetable (the first two were casualties of the 1990s Croatian war of independence):

  • Vukovar-Borovo Naselje - Vukovar [but only one train per day each way]
  • Vinkovci - Osijek direct
  • Savski Marof - Harmica (trains between Savski Marof and Kumrovec via Harmica were replaced by buses, due to poor track condition, in 2001)
  • Ogulin avoiding line (after a gap of some years, again used by fast services between Zagreb and Split)

Track has been lifted from the war-damaged line from Karlovac to Sisak, but passenger services have been introduced over two lines that were freight-only under JŽ:

  • Bjelovar to Kloštar and
  • Bizovac to Belišće

Čulinec and Sesvete – Zagreb Klara staff trains via Ranžirni Kolodvor Zagreb ceased as from the 2008/2009 timetable.

The line from Erdut to Bogojevo (Serbia) reopened to freight traffic on 8 August 2008 following rebuilding of the river bridge damaged by bombing in 1999. A limited passenger service commenced on 14 December 2015.

Cross-border services to Bosnia-Hercegovina resumed in 2001/2002 between Volinja and Dobrljin, between Slavonski Šamac and Bosanski Šamac and between Drenovci and Brčko via Gunja but all subsequently lost passenger services. It was reported that the line between Knin and Bihac reopened early in 2001, but no passenger service was ever advertised.

Special notes

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

The Buzet to Pula line is accessible by rail only via Slovenia. A bus service, on which rail tickets are accepted, runs between Rijeka and Lupoglav and is the preferred route from Zagreb to Pula. An international ticket, at a higher fare, is required for travel on a through train via Ljubljana and passengers are subject to passport and customs checks at both border crossings.

See also