Slovenia - General Information

Country Name

Slovenia (Republika Slovenija)

National railway system

National Railway Operator

Slovenske Železnice (SŽ). This is essentially the former JŽ Ljubljana Division, less lines in Istria that are now in Croatia.

Language

Slovene.

Currency

Euro.

UIC code

numeric 79; alpha SLO.

Timetable

Journey Planner

Passenger transport

Downloadable Timetable

PDF Timetables by route

Printed Timetable

Vozni Red. This includes introductory material in German and French. Some non-standard symbols are used to indicate days of the week on which trains run.

Engineering Information

Service Disruptions

Maps

Printed Maps

• European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball.
• European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - The Balkans) by M.G. Ball.
• Atlante ferroviaro d'Italia e Slovenia / Eisenbahnatlas Italien und Slowenien by Schweers + Wall.
• SŽ publishes the "Turistièna Karta Slovenskih Železnic" which shows Slovenian railways on a 1:300000 general map. Electrified and double-track lines are distinguished and most freight lines are shown. Brief notes are given, in English, German, Italian and Slovene, on features of general interest at many towns.

Web-based Maps

• Thorsten Büker's Map of Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Hercegovina dated March 2018.
• Maps and Plans - Slovenia

Ticketing

Higher fares are charged for travel on express trains (Intercity Slovenija, Eurocity, Intercity or Mednarodni), but by West European standards all fares are inexpensive. There is no known network ticket.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

SŽ-Infrastruktura

SZ appears to act as its own infrastructure authority

Network Statement

The latest Network Statement may be found here Network Statement

Gauge

Standard.

Electrification

3 kV dc. Electrification of Pragersko - Hodoš, on the Hungarian border, was completed and opened in June 2016.

Rule of the road

Left, except between Zidani Most and Dobova/Savski Marof.

Distances

Detailed distances can be found in the following:

• Network Statement Annex 3A - Lines: [1]
• Atlante ferroviaro d'Italia e Slovenia / Eisenbahnatlas Italien und Slowenien by Schweers + Wall.

Other railways

None.

Tourist lines

None, but battery electric powered, 620 mm narrow-gauge, trains convey visitors through the spectacular caves near Postojna, over a 3.7 km railway loop. Postojna Cave Railway Short History.

The Slovenian Railway Museum is located in Ljubljana.

Metro

None.

Trams/LRT-Systems

None.

Recent and future changes

A new alignment including an approximately 1.5km ‘Pekel Tunnel’ and viaduct is under construction north of Maribor substantially to the east of the existing one which is seriously speed restricted. It is due to be completed in 2023 but it is unclear if this replaces or duplicates the existing alignment. See OpenRailwayMap.

Near Pragersko a new double track alignment 25-100 metres east of the existing line was seen to be under construction in March 2022 from approximately 2-3km south of the station and as far north as the avoiding curve. This also involves a re-aligned avoiding curve around 100-200 metres north of the existing one. A completion date is not known.

Construction of the second line linking the port of Koper to the SŽ network at Divača was officially launched on 5 May 2021, following the signing of the €403.6m contract for the Divača – Črni Kal section. A €224.7m contract for the Črni Kal – Koper section was signed on 31 March 2021. The 27.1 km single track line, on a new alignment, will form a double-track route in conjunction with the existing 44.3 km single track line and will be used by trains heading uphill.

Changes in 2021-22

11

Mursko Središće (Croatia) - Lendava

No longer a passenger service shown in the Croatian timetable

Changes in 2020-21

Passenger trains restarted on the 48.6km long Grosuplje – Kočevje branch on 3 January 2021, having been withdrawn in July 1968.

The 2020-2021 timetable shows increased use of the cross-border line between Sežana and Villa Opicina. SŽ services on this line were reinstated on 5 January 2015, replacing substitute bus services following approval for the 312 'Desiro' units by the Italian authorities. The daytime service between Venezia and Ljubljana had ceased to run west of Villa Opicina from 1 April 2008 because FS would no longer allow SŽ trains lacking the Italian train protection system to run on their lines and further cut back to Sežana on 12 April 2008. This left just the overnight Venezia - Budapest train as the only cross-border service but that was withdrawn on 11 December 2011 with no cross border service until the SŽ locals mentioned above in 2015. A through Ljubljana - Trieste service started on 9 September 2018.

Changes in 2016-17 According to the German Railfans Society IBSE, the one train only service via the curve from Maribor Tezno – Maribor Tabor ran for the last time on 9 June 2017.

Changes in 2014-15 The following lines reopened at the timetable change on 14 December 2014:

• 32 Sveti Rok ob Sotli - Đurmanec (Croatia)
• 40 Središče - Macinec (Croatia)
• 40 Mursko Središče (Croatia) - Lendava

The following line lost its passenger service at the timetable change on 14 December 2014:

• 72 Prvačina - Ajdovščina

Changes in 2013-14 The cross-border service between (Metlika -) Rosalnice and Kamanje (Croatia) (- Karlovac) was reinstated on 15 December 2013, having lost its passenger service on 9 December 2012.

Services were withdrawn, probably at the start of the 2013 - 2014 timetable, from the 1km branch from Ljubljana Polje to BTC City Ljubljana, which opened in 2005 or 2006.

Special Notes

Most internal passenger services are worked by multiple-units calling at most or all stations.

The only means of travelling to and from the FS network in Italy is by bus: either (i) the Trieste Transporti service between Villa Opicina and Trieste or (ii) the approximately hourly service between Trieste and Koper stations or (iii) the more frequent Gorizia municipal service (ATP) route 1 between Gorizia Centrale station and Piazza Transalpina (Nova Gorica station).