As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 15th of October, 2020, the works on the construction of the cogeneration plant of the company "Energana Gospic 1" in Gospic in the beautiful green Lika region are now nearing completion. This is an investment worth over 20 million euros, and, according to the contractor, all works on the plant should be completed in December, after which a technical inspection should be performed.

Nova Energana will employ about thirty workers, and the investor is already looking for employees. "At this moment alone, GEEN is urgently looking for electrical and mechanical engineers who need to be trained before putting the plant into operation. Therefore, in Gospic, several jobs will be created in 2020, and by the end of the year, other occupations will be sought in the newly opened plants of the company,'' said the Mayor of Gospic, Karlo Starcevic.

This new Gospic-based biomass plant, with an output of 5 MW, is characterised by the simultaneous production of two useful forms of energy (electric and thermal) in one single process. Within this project, an additional plant is being built - a dryer, intended for drying wood chips, which will increase the efficiency of cogeneration. The produced electricity will be taken over by HEP, while the thermal energy will be primarily used for the needs of the technological process (biomass drying), and if there is a need for heating Gospic.

After the construction of the Kalcit factory, this is the second largest greenfield investment in the area of ​​the Gospic since the independence of Croatia back in the 1990s. On that occasion, Mayor Karlo Starcevic and Secretary-Head Slaven Stilinovic, along with representatives of the contractor Djuro Đakovic TEP d.o.o., Slavonski Brod, Executive Director Ivica Maric and Service and Installation Director Zdravko Stipetic, visited the construction site in the Smiljansko polje Business Zone.

Behind the company Energana Gospic 1 is the Czech holding GEEN, and it is a business entity that has many years of successful experience of operation within the demanding energy sector.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

As Novac/Vedran Marjanovic writes on the 1st of October, 2020, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development has recently issued a positive decision on INA's project to modernise the Rijeka refinery in the part related to the environmental impact assessment of that investment. This is another step towards the realisation of the largest investment for the Croatian economy in recent years, worth a massive four billion kuna, which, according to announcements from INA, will place the Rijeka Refinery among the most modern refineries in the world.

Behind the phrase ''the modernisation of the Rijeka refinery'' is actually the construction of a coking complex with a port, storage and transport system.

''The main goals of the INA Rijeka Oil Refinery, which the planned second phase of modernisation, ie the implementation of the Heavy Residue Treatment Programme, seeks to achieve, are the higher production of low-sulfur gasoline and diesel fuels, the cessation of heavy fuel oil production, the reduction of the amount of total harmful emissions from the refinery site, and the production of fuel according to newer EU standards,'' it was stated in the study that INA submitted to the Ministry of Economy in the procedure of obtaining that solution launched in May this year.

The final decision of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board of INA on the beginning of the second phase of the modernisation of the Rijeka refinery was made last December. "INA's investment of four billion kuna is the most beautiful Christmas gift for the Croatian energy system."

This euphoria is far from surprising because it is known that the modernisation of the refineries in Rijeka and Sisak was one of the obligations that MOL undertook by buying the first 25 percent of INA shares way back in 2003. This obligation was included in the famous inter-shareholder agreement from 2009.

From the documentation submitted by INA to the Ministry of Economy in the procedure of obtaining that decision on the impact of the modernisation of the Rijeka refinery on the environment, it is evident that INA addressed the then Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction back in 2009.

INA confirmed that obtaining this decision from the Ministry of Economy is one of the steps towards the construction of a plant for the treatment of heavy residues at the Rijeka refinery.

''Considering the fact that the project of construction of a plant for processing heavy residues implies obtaining a series of location and construction permits, these processes should be completed in the middle of next year,'' announced INA. A warning from the decision of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development is on the same track.

''This decision ceases to be valid if INA failts to submit a request for the issuance of a location permit within two years from the day of execution of the decision,'' it was noted in the decision of the Ministry of Economy.

On the occasion of the final decisions of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board of INA on entering the 4 billion kuna investment in the Rijeka refinery, Croatia's largest company announced that the processing plant should start operating in 2023. Although it should be understood that these announcements were made before the coronavirus crisis took hold, which stopped almost all investments in the country for at least three months this year.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

As Darko Bicak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of September, 2020, given the fact that over the past 15 years Croatia has almost completely completed its investments in strategic road construction projects, and after that those of air transport, it is time to invest in railway infrastructure, which, with the abundant help of EU funds, is finally underway throughout Croatia. Meet the latest Croatian mega project.

The latest Croatian mega project is the procurement of 21 new low-floor trains, coming with a total value of more than one billion kuna. The Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, together with the President of the Management Board of HZ Putnicki prijevoz (passenger transport), Zeljko Ukic, and the Director of the Central Agency for Financing and Contracting, Tomislav Petrica, will sign a contract for securing grants from EU funds.

Out of a total of 21 new low-floor trains from this new Croatian mega project, 11 of them will be intended for city - suburban lines, and the remaining 10 will be for regional lines. Eligible project costs will be financed from EU funds, ie the Cohesion Fund, in the amount of 85 percent, while the rest will be financed from the Croatian state budget.

So far there are 12 trains

This new Croatian mega project is part of the "Project for the renewal of the HZ Passenger Transport fleet", within which 12 new trains have been procured so far, which are currently in the production process.

Through the realisation of these procurements, HZ Putnicki prijevoz will have a total of 32 new trains under its belt over the next three years, for urban - suburban and regional traffic, which, along with 28 new trains that are now in service, will significantly improve the quality of their given transport services. During the last year, HZ Infrastruktura (Infrastructure), a public company in charge of investments and the maintenance of the national railway network, made a total of 950.9 million kuna in investments, which is 29 percent more than they did the year before. As much as 74 percent of the money, or 700.9 million kuna, is co-financed by EU funds. The company has pointed out that due to the coronavirus crisis, the dynamics of the work being carried out on contracted investment projects has slowed down a bit, and the start of work on newly contracted projects has been delayed.

The coronavirus factor

The fact that Croatian railway traffic is growing even during this crisis has been confirmed by the network regulatory agency HAKOM, which pointed out that in the second quarter of 2020, the Croatian railway services market transported 2.5 percent more goods when compared to the same period last year, and it achieved more train kilometres and tonne-kilometres in freight transport.

"These three indicators indicate that, although the coronavirus crisis has generally affected and reduced the transport of goods in Croatia, the railway has taken over the transport of part of that cargo by other means of transport, such as road or air transport," HAKOM said.

The share of train kilometres made freight transport in the total realised train kilometres, which includes passenger transport, stood at 47 percent. The largest freight carrier was the public HŽ Cargo with a share of train kilometres of 56.3 percent, and the rest was achieved by eight new carriers on this market. The indicator of realised tonne-kilometres in the second quarter grew by 17.5 percent when compared to the previous year. On the market of passenger railway transport, the number of transported passengers decreased by as much as 66.6 percent when compared to the second quarter of 2019.

The main reason for less passenger transport was the decision of the National Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia on the temporary suspension of public rail passenger transport from March the 22nd to May the 10th, 2020.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

August the 31st, 2020 - Croatian railways aren't often in receipt of much praise. The train journeys are typically much longer than they should be, and the infrastructure system requires a lot of work. That being said, the Croatian railways investment has been going on since spring this year, and it isn't due for completion until 2022.

As Lucija Spiljak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 30th of August, 2020, works on the reconstruction of the Zagreb Zapadni kolodvor - Savski Marof railway have been underway since back in May this year, the value of which amounts to almost 366 million kuna without VAT, and most of which is being financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

This Croatian railways investment is part of a much larger investment cycle in transport infrastructure involving up to 20 billion kuna, half of which is going to the railway system, which, as stated, is in need of an upgrade. The works are expected to be completed by the summer of 2022, and the site was recently visited by the longtime Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic.

The eighteen-kilometre-long railway was last overhauled back in 1974, and this ongoing renovation should strengthen it, increase the carrying capacity and the level of safety and speed of trains to 120 km/h, and maintenance costs should be reduced in general. About 170 trains run on the line daily and it is located on an important corridor for international freight and urban-suburban transport.

During his visit, the Minister recalled the fact that the reconstruction of the Zapresic - Zabok railway saw an investment of around 900 million kuna in that micro-location alone.

He announced the continuation Croatian railways investments, and next week he will sign yet another contract for the purchase of 22 new trains for HŽ Putnički prijevoz (Passenger transport), worth more than one billion kuna in total.

He also stated that the traffic in the current part of this year is at the level of about 50 percent of last year, while cargo rail and passenger traffic didn't actually suffer much damage as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

For more on investments in Croatia, follow our business page.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 2nd of August, 2020, while it is always good - and especially in this strange age dominated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic - to be careful in planning and predicting the future, it is hard to disagree with the claim that the future of Delnice looks very interesting, promising and we might even dare to say impressive at the moment, much more than it has for many years.

This way of thinking has been encouraged by the recently published news about the serious interest of foreign investors, particularly American ones, thanks to which a hotel that will be part of the world-famous American hotel chain Marriott should appear in no less than Delnice next year, according to a report from Novi list.

But even if it doesn't end up showcasing the internationally respected name of Marriott, it will be a hotel, and that, in itself, is an enormous plus for the typically overlooked Delnice, especially considering the way in which serious investors were initially reached.

With the aforementioned hotel, the vision of the City of Delnice in the next year, year and a half, will be further changed for the better.

In September, a business and shopping centre should appear on the site of Delnice's former mill and bakery. The construction of its elements are finished and their installation will begin in September, which means that this year Delnice will have an even better trade offer than it does currently.

Furthermore, for mid-October, the opening of the newly renovated Delnice City Library has been announced, which is already finished and which will be not only aesthetically pleasing but an excellent functional unit. In addition to book lovers, there will be places for everyone who enjoys different forms of culture there.

Additionally, if the promises of the Government of the Republic of Croatia are to be believed at all, the large Retirement Home will certainly finally be completed next year, for which part of the funds were provided from the legacy of Janet Majnarich. All in all, Delnice - despite the coronavirus pandemic, the crisis that has ensued as a result of it and a number of other details which plague the area - is becoming an increasingly interesting and high-quality living environment.

For more, follow our lifestyle page.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Bernard Ivezic writes on the 13th of June, 2020, the very first Croatian VC fund, the Feelsgood Social Impact Investment Fund, has received the final green light to start working and can start things up as far as investments are concerned. The domestic startup fund, worth 30 million euros or a little less than a quarter of a billion kuna, has been collecting all the necessary permits for three years now.

Not only will the first Croatian VC fund help startups and their innovations with capital, but it has also become an innovation on the domestic financial market. The Croatian VC fund is also the first domestic "social impact" fund. The VC fund project was first given the green light back in March last year by the European Investment Fund. Then, at the beginning of August 2019, Hanfa approved the work of the Zagreb company Feelsgood Capital Partners, and now it has allowed it to establish the Croatian VC fund itself.

Renata Brkic, co-founder of the fund, says that the process was demanding, but that they are very satisfied with the result.

''The process was extremely demanding, but we're proud because the Croatian team managed to establish both a fund and a management company in their own country.

"We're extremely proud that we managed to establish a fund and a management company in our country as a Croatian team," says Brkic. In addition to Brkic, who is the High Commissioner of the World Business Angel Investment Forum (WBAF) for Croatia, the first Croatian VC fund will be managed by four other managers who are also the fund's co-founders.

Srdja Ivekovic, a VC fund manager with many years of experience in the industry in the markets of the Middle East, Egypt and the CIS, Dinko Novoselac, the former CEO of the largest pension fund in Croatia, AZ, and Peter-Pierre Matek, the former President of the Hanfa.

The fifth partner in the company and the fund is Tilen Sarlah, a financier from Slovenia, who also runs a trading board in Ljubljana's Geoplin and is an advisor in the startup Fintech Factory EU.

Renata Brkic says that they went through a complex process of coordination with the main investor, EIF, and the national regulator Hanfa.

"We hope that with this pioneering endeavor, we've encouraged others and paved the way for teams that think in the same way we do, and contributed to Croatia positioning itself one step higher in the European financial industry," says Brkic.

22.7 million kuna or 3 million euros will be the largest investment that the Croatian VC fund will be able to make according to the decision on the matter made by Hanfa. It should be noted that they are also ready to take their first step which comes in the shape of a sensitive topic in Croatia - investments.

Brkic states that in parallel with the process of designing the first Croatian VC fund and its main strategy, they held talks not only with potential investors in the fund but also with startups and other entrepreneurs whose projects are candidates for investment.

''Since we announced our intention to establish the Feelsgood fund at our conference on social impact investing in Zagreb last October, we've been contacted by numerous entrepreneurial teams from Croatia and Slovenia with the desire to present their projects, and we're now in a position to start talking concretely,'' says Brkic. She hasn't provided any details on that yet, however, she did point out that the most important thing is that the entrepreneurial scene is alive and kicking here in Croatia and that teams are thinking about how to achieve a positive social effect in addition to making profit.

Feelsgood is a Croatian VC fund that invests in startups here at home in Croatia. Five years ago, the VC fund South Central Ventures, worth a massive 40 million euros, started operating. Although it was entirely realised abroad, it is the very first VC fund with an office in the Croatian capital city of Zagreb.

It is also the first in which the Republic of Croatia has actually invested. Fil Rouge Capital, which is currently the largest VC fund in Croatia worth 45 million euros, also took a step forward last year. HBOR entered it as an investor, meaning that once again, such a promising step was taken here in the Republic of Croatia. Fil Rouge is also the first VC fund to invest exclusively in startups registered in Croatia.

Feelsgood, the third in a row, is the first to be fully incorporated in Croatia, meaning that it is the first VC fund that can be decorated with the title "100% Made in Croatia". As Hanfa's decision revealed, Feelsgood will invest in startups in Croatia and Slovenia. Although it will be open to all social SMEs, it will still be the most sought after instrument for startups or companies in their very early stages of development.

For more, follow Made in Croatia.

As Vedran Marjanovic/Novac writes on the 31st of January, 2020, GEEN Holding, one of the largest Central European producers of electricity from renewable energy sources, will soon begin construction of its third biomass power plant in Croatia in Gospic, marking a valuable investment in Croatia.

''Over the coming days we'll start the final phase of site preparation for the project in Gospic. Construction will follow shortly, and after a year it will be finished and connected to the grid. The plant will be in full operation in the first half of 2021. Currently, over fifty percent of the necessary equipment has already been manufactured,'' they stated from the headquarters of GEEN Holding over in the Czech Republic.

At the beginning of December last year, GEEN Holding put a biomass-fired power plant in Zupanja into operation, and in October 2018, a power plant with the same facility in Benkovac was built. The raw material for production at both power plants is wood waste.

''The total investments in Benkovac and Zupanja amount to 80 million euros. The electricity from our two power plants is distributed through HERA, and thermal energy is used by other Croatian private companies for various business purposes. Biomass power plants in Croatia represent 40 percent of the installed capacity in our power plants,'' they stated.

The total amount of electricity generated by all power plants in GEEN Holding's portfolio is currently 113 million kilowatt hours. The power output of the Zupanja power plant is 4.93 megawatt hours and the Benkovac power plant - 4.96 megawatt hours. The thermal capacities of the Zupanja and Benkovac plants range between eight and ten megawatts.

When asked why they chose their investment in Croatia and use it as one of their major markets, GEEN Holding said they recognised the country's need for stable and strong energy sources.

''Energy in Croatia is significantly dependent on coal and gas from abroad. The capacity for new hydropower plants, for example, is very limited. Therefore, we saw a business opportunity in Croatia for the development and operation of biomass power plants,'' they say from the Czech company, whose annual revenue is around 30 million euros.

They also announced that in the coming months and years, they will focus more on increasing the efficiency of the power plants in Benkovac and Zupanja and on the better use of the heat produced, primarily, as they pointed out, for the production of pellets.

''A pellet production project alone could bring 20 new jobs to Croatia,'' GEEN Holding estimates.

According to the registry of the Croatian Energy Agency, sixty Croatian companies have licenses for electricity production. In addition to GEEN Holding's facilities, another dozen HERA-licensed companies produce electricity from wood waste. Although not the only foreign company to invest in biomass energy production in Croatia, GEEN is certainly the largest investor.

For more on investment in Croatia, follow our business page.

As Barbara Ban/Novac writes on the 27th of January, 2020, Pula's Arena Hospitality Group hotelier from is investing as much as 363 million kuna in its portfolio in southern Istria this year.

The largest investment, of about 245 million kuna, is the one in Pula's Hotel Brioni on Verudela, which has been expected for many years, and will last two years, then they'll invest in a nearby apartment complex called Arena Verudela Beach and the Medulin campsite Arena Grand Kažela.

The complete renovation and repositioning of the popular Brioni Hotel began this year. The opening of the newly renovated hotel is planned for the summer season of 2021, and the facility will be closed throughout this year. The hotel was built back in the early 1970s and was one of the most popular in the former Yugoslavia. Many celebrities of the time stayed there. The seven-storey hotel will remodel its rooms and other facilities such as meeting and conference rooms. It will also boast an indoor pool, a wellness centre with saunas and relaxation rooms, a fitness centre and an outdoor infinity pool with its own sunbathing area.

After the complete renovation, it will be a contemporary luxury hotel with 227 rooms and suites and the ambition to become the mainstay of the Arena Hospitality Group's hotel business, a statement from the company said.

Several restaurants and bars at the hotel will offer their guests a varied gastronomic offer ranging from local, Mediterranean cuisine to international specialities from around the world. After the investment, the hotel will be branded a world-renowned high quality hotel brand, the Arena Hospitality Group added.

Not far from the Brioni Hotel in the Verudela area, the renovation of the Arena Verudela Beach apartment complex, worth a massive 68 million kuna, will continue. Last year, ten accommodation units were renovated, and this year, the remaining 146 apartment units are to be renovated too.

''These modernly furnished and fully equipped apartments for four to six people will be categorised with four stars. In addition to the accommodation units, the Lighthouse restaurant, located on the beach in front of the resort itself, will be completely renovated, and thus the quality of the entire tourist product will be. A complete renovation of the Yacht restaurant underneath the Park Plaza Histria Hotel is underway, in which public spaces and rooms are being renovated,'' the Arena Hospitality Group from Pula said.

This year, they will also invest 50 million kuna into the Medulin camp Kažela, with a total of 150 million kuna already invested in this area last year. This is the second phase of the investment which will turn it into a modern and high-quality four-star category camping facility.

This year's works include the further replacement of mobile homes and the installation of 45 new luxury camping homes. For owners of modern campers, luxury, spacious lots will be adapted to the best, "premium" positions by the sea. These are large parcels of land larger than 150 square metres, offering complete infrastructure - electricity, water and drainage. As part of the investment, all the sanitary facilities intended for guests of the camping pitches will be renovated, which will increase its competitiveness among other campsites, the company said.

In addition, the restaurant, bar and sports centre with the proper horticultural landscaping of public areas will be completely renovated. Throughout the camp, guests will have high-speed wireless Internet access and IPTV services (TV channels through new OTT technology) via smart TVs in camping homes.

It's worth noting that last year, the Arena Hospitality Group invested more than 250 million kuna in its tourism portfolio. With this year's investments, the Arena Hospitality Group will almost completely rebuild its facilities at Verudela and bring them up to an impressive four-star level.

Make sure to follow our business page for more on investment in Croatian tourism and beyond.

As Morski writes on the 12th of January, 2020, the governing board of the Crikvenica County Port Authority has adopted the port authority's work and development plan and programme for 2020, and this year the largest investment cycle in its history, which will realise projects worth 60 million kuna, is set to continue. This investment for Crikvenica will involve several projects and phases.

Namely, the annual program of work and development of the ports under the care of the County Port Authority for 2020 envisages the continuation of investments for Crikvenica in the upgrading of the port opened for public traffic, which is considered to be important at the county level. The project has secured nearly 33 million kuna in European Union (EU) grants to be invested in the construction of the secondary breakwater and the extension of Mala palada.

''The fact that this project was the second in Croatia and the first in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County among the projects financed by the Competitiveness and Cohesion operational programme emphasises its importance,'' stated Mario Kružić for Novi list, noting that in addition to the realisation of the main bulk of the works, we can also expect the installation of a hydrant network and horticultural landscaping and much more during the first half of 2020.

In addition, as part of this massive investment for Crikvenica, part of the coastal wall in the port of Selce will be reconstructed.

At the end of 2019, a valid building permit was finally obtained for the project of upgrading the port open to public traffic (Podvorska), and the plan is currently to secure more funds through tenders from the competent ministry and from Primorje-Gorski Kotar County for the realisation of this project.

This project foresees the demolition of the existing middle pier, with the exception of the very top of the pier, and the construction of a brand new pier at approximately the same position, followed by the construction of yet another pier. The concession plan also envisages an arrangement being reached to lead to the realisation of the project's legalisation and the upgrading of the Črni mul port, which is open to public traffic, in order to better protect the vessels in the port, and to increase the number of communal and nautical berths available.

''As a key to sustainable development, the Crikvenica County Port Authority has opted for transparent and responsible operations, which we'll continue with in the coming years,'' Mario Kružić told Novi list.

Make sure to follow our lifestyle page for more on investments for Crikvenica.

A much needed and huge investment of 3.5 billion euros is in the works for Croatian railways.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Josip Bohutinski/VL writes on the 13th of January, 2020 the total length of the network of railway lines operated by HŽ Infrastruktura (HŽI) is 2617 kilometres, of which 2343 kilometres are single tracks and only 274 kilometres are double tracks.

Croatia has invested tens of billions of kuna in the construction of highways, and now the turn has come for Croatian railways. Sveti Ivan Zabno - Gredec, the first new railway in the last 52 years in Croatia, opened at the end of last year, and the 258 million kuna invested in the construction of this railway line is only one small part of the 3.5 billion euro investment cycle launched for Croatian railways, Vecernji list writes.

The total length of the network of railway lines operated by HŽ Infrastruktura (HŽI) is, as stated, 2617 kilometres, of which 2343 kilometres are single tracks and only 274 kilometres are double tracks. According to data, 980 kilometres of the network were electrified. But in the next ten years, and mainly thanks to European Union funds, this should change significantly. Thus, by 2030, Croatia should have up to 681 kilometres double-track lines and 1,022 kilometres of electrified lines.

Thus, the length of two-lane lines should increase by 361 or 407 kilometres, depending on the future route of the section of the lowland railway. HŽI explains that along the RH2 corridor, ie the Croatian part of the Mediterranean corridor, the length of two-track lines will increase by at least 145 kilometres, which includes the sections Križevci - Koprivnica - the state border, Dugo Selo - Križevci, Hrvatski Leskovac - Karlovac and Škrljevo - Rijeka - Jurdani.

For the sections Karlovac - Oštarije and Oštarije - Škrljevo, study documentation is being prepared which will define the routes. For the section Karlovac - Oštarije, the possible length of the route is 40 kilometres, and for Oštarije - Škrljevo, 67 or 113 kilometres. HŽI also says that the length of two-track sections will increase by 82 kilometres on the RH1 corridor, and that will be on the Dugo Selo - Novska section. In addition, 42.6 kilometres of single-track lines will be electrified in this investment cycle, namely the Zaprešić-Zabok (23.9 km) and Vinkovci-Vukovar (18.7 km) lines.

EU co-financing is currently underway for the reconstruction of the existing track and construction of the second track on the 36.4 kilometre long Dugo Selo - Križevci section. The project is worth 196.9 million euros. Work on the reconstruction of the existing and construction of the second track on the section Križevci - Koprivnica - state border, totalling 42.6 kilometres, should begin soon.

The decision to select a contractor for the job with an estimated value of 283.9 million euros was made, but appeals were also lodged.

A tender for the reconstruction and construction of the second track on the Hrvatski Leskovac - Karlovac section will also be announced this year. The estimated value of the works stands at 315 million euros, and this section is 44 kilometres long. For the Karlovac - Oštarije section, however, as HŽI claims, a public procurement procedure is underway to select the designer of the study documentation, as it also is for the Oštarije-Škrljevo section.

The estimated value of works for the Karlovac - Oštarije section is 400 million euros, and for the line from Oštarije to Škrljevo - 667 million euros, depending on the selected technical solution of the route. For the project of the construction of the second track, modernisation and reconstruction of the Škrljevo - Rijeka - Jurdani section, the main project is underway. The section is 27.5 kilometres long and the estimated value of the works is 270 million euros.

Financing has not yet been resolved for the sections of the lowland railway from Karlovac to Jurdani, but it is possible, according to the announcement of the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, that Croatia will receive EU funds for the construction of these sections.

Chinese companies have shown interest in building these Croatian railways under a concession model. The estimated value of the works on the Dugo Selo - Novska section is 570 million euros, which would make the entire RH1 corridor two-lane. The design speeds for these new lines are 160 kilometres per hour. There will be new trains on the new tracks.

HŽ Passenger Transport has so far contracted the purchase of 28 new trains with a maximum speed of 120 km/h. It intends to finance the acquisition of 21 trains with 1.1 billion kuna in grants and the remaining 19 with a loan from the World Bank and Eurofima.

Other major projects include the Zaprešić-Zabok railway (the value of the modernisation and electrification project is 80.8 million euros), the Vinkovci-Vukovar railway, the Rijeka port (a project worth almost 36 million euros) and the Rijeka railway station where work is already underway.

Make sure to follow our dedicated travel page for more on Croatian railways.