After a brief, and yet very unsuccessful existence, the Split Metro is getting shut down tomorrow.

It was in operation for 142 days, and ever since it was introduced on June the 11th, it was quite obvious to most that it wasn't going to be successful, so Split's municipal transport company "Promet" announced quietly that this Sunday, November 3rd, at 21:30 is the last time the train will be operating. They haven't really announced it at all, just the schedule on the Promet's website shows that it won't be operating after that.

In its unsuccessful 142 days, Croatian media supposes that it hasn't seen that many passengers. It often operated completely empty, and only took staff members from the Split ferry port to the Kopilica station (yes, there was just one station, and the distance it covered was around 2 kilometres). The ticket was 11 kuna, so if you have one of them, you have a piece of history you might want to hold onto.

Slobodna Dalmacija asked Croatian Railways Passenger Transport (HŽ) about the future of the line if maybe it would operate again next summer, but they replied that there are no plans for that as of now. The trains that serviced this line will run to Kaštela in the upcoming period. Supposedly, Kaštela asked for another rail line, and this is how that problem has been solved.

We've seen so many jokes and puns directed at the project which was doomed from its inception, as it never really made sense in 2019 when none of the things it was supposed to support became fully operational. Maybe, sometime in the future, once the bus terminal finally gets moved to Kopilica, it will make sense to bring the Split Metro back. Or even something a bit more modern.

October 7, 2019 - The strategic project connecting the Split ferry port and airport, unofficially estimated at a total of 150 million euro, got a new twist last week.

As T.portal confirmed by several sources, after a disagreement that the future railways should pass through Kastela, a completely new route surfaced amid the chaos. 

According to the proposal made by HŽ Infrastruktura to the Ministry of Transport, the trains would run on an overhead line that is parallel to the Split-Trogir highway, mostly on the pillars that would sit between its two lanes.

“This solution is only slightly more expensive than the route proposed by the City of Kastela, which, in one part, rises to a relatively high altitude and almost completely bypasses populated areas. On the other hand, it is much cheaper than installing a railway line in a tunnel or a buried pipe in the lower part of Kastela, which was insisted by local authorities, and thus could be financed from European funds. Third, there are no property and legal issues on this route, while the performance itself would be relatively straightforward. It would not even be necessary to close the entire expressway for traffic, but only possibly one of its lanes,” said T.portal’s source. 

In addition to the Ministry of Transport, a proposal for a new, fourth route of the railway through Kastela was sent to consultants from Ernst & Young, who will make an assessment of its cost-effectiveness in the next month, and include it in an already completed study, followed by a change of spatial plans.

At a government session last May in Split, connecting the Split ferry port and airport was declared a project of strategic national importance, which implies, among other things, possible funding from European funds from 2020 to 2027. It should be suitable because Split airport handles 3.3 million passengers per year and the ferry port over 5.5 million, while the daily migrations of Split and Kastela residents should be added.

In fact, there are already 18 kilometers of railroad tracks between the two endpoints that need to be thoroughly reconstructed, and the added section - depending on whether it would be separated in Kastel Kambelovac or Kastel Stari - would be between eight and ten kilometers long. The final train station would be located south of the newly built Split Airport terminal, though there are ideas to move it to nearby Trogir.

Small suburban trains have been operating between a part of Kastela and Split for a long time, and since this summer, the famous 'mini-metro' between the Split suburbs and the city center has been in operation. However, the mini-metro has recorded a low number in passengers - reportedly only one per ride on average - but city officials continue to say that 'citizens should get used to this option' and that everything will make sense when the airport and ferry are connected with one logical and complete project.

It was announced that several existing railway stations in Split, Solin, and Kastela would be reconstructed by next summer, and HŽ Infrastruktura also signed a 2.7 million kuna contract last week to develop the technical documentation of the underground station at Trg Hrvatske bratske zajednice, exactly halfway between Kopilica and the port, in the administrative part of town, near the court and the police. 

The station should adapt to new security conditions and be about a hundred meters long, with platforms and exits to Trg Hrvatske bratske zajednice. The same project envisages the installation of a ventilation and fire-fighting system and other equipment in the Split 'metro' tunnel. 

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September 1, 2019 - Split welcomes September with impressive numbers. 

Splitski Dnevnik reports that through the two Split ports, the airport and the ferry port, an impressive 132,000 passengers will arrive by air and sea this weekend, the Resnik Airport and Split Ferry Port revealed on Saturday.

Mate Melvan of Split Airport said 115 aircraft with 27,000 passengers were expected on Saturday, while 95 aircraft with 25,000 people will land and take off on Sunday at the Split Airport. 

"When we look at the cumulative three months this summer and compare it to the same period last year, we see a six percent increase," said Melvan. 

The airport, he estimated, would conclude the year with a total of 3.3 million passengers.

However, there will also be crowds at the Split Ferry Port, which will receive 80,000 passengers and 13,000 vehicles in the three days of the weekend.

Jelena Ivulic, the head of Jadrolinija in Split, confirmed that there is a lower intensity of passengers towards the islands than in the past weekends, but because of that, there is a higher traffic intensity towards the ferry port.

“Due to the increased inflow of vehicles, we sent one extra line to Supetar at 8.45 am this morning, and there was a need for another extra line heading to Brač at 12.45 pm. All other departures and arrivals take place according to the timetable,” said Ivulic on Saturday, confirming that when ferries arrive and the vehicles are unloaded, traffic is usually created when leaving the port, approaching the Jadran Bridge and Bacvice in the city.

For the last weekend in August, Jadrolinija expects 80,000 passengers and 13,000 vehicles, which is a piece of cake compared to the first weekend in August, when 95,000 passengers and 18,000 vehicles passed through the port.

Recall, the penultimate Saturday in August saw many travelers return home after their summer holidays, where over 85,000 passengers and over 15,000 vehicles passed through the ferry port last weekend. 

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August 24, 2019 - Will it be a nightmare escaping Split this weekend? A closer look at the ferry port crowds. 

As was expected, the penultimate Saturday in August is set for many travelers to return home after their summer holidays. The traffic of vehicles and passengers, especially from the Central Dalmatian islands, is also felt at the Split ferry port. However, travelers shouldn’t encounter too many delays on the way from the ferry port through Bačvice, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

“We expect over 85,000 passengers and over 15,000 vehicles to pass through the Split Ferry Port this weekend, with an emphasis on returning from the islands. Everything is going according to the timetable except that at 9 am and 12:30 we had to introduce one extra line to Supetar, given the large number of vehicles waiting to board. In the next day, we will see how things will work out and react accordingly,” said Jelena Ivulić from the Jadrolinija branch in Split.

Otherwise, the Split-Supetar-Split line has 14 regular trips daily, which are always full. The Sesartić family spoke to Slobodna Dalmacija about their travels from Supetar to Split and onto Zagreb on Saturday.

“We have waited in line for about an hour, and judging by the number of vehicles in front of us, we will probably wait another hour and a half, if not longer. The queue for boarding vehicles is all the way to the roundabout in Supetar, which is good. We thought it would be longer as they announced. The utility and fire department guys are down the road and directing drivers to create order. We have heard that bottles of water are being distributed to passengers and vehicles, but that may be the case at the end of the queue,” said Ana, who is traveling with her family.

Increased passenger and vehicle transport is also expected on Sunday and even Monday when travelers increasingly choose to travel to avoid traffic jams.

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August 18, 2019 - There are more tourist departures than arrivals at the Split Airport and Ferry Port this weekend, showing the first signs that this year's tourist season is nearing its end in Dalmatia.

"On Saturday and Sunday, about 70,000 passengers and 12,500 vehicles will travel through the Split ferry port, of which about 60 percent are tourists returning from the islands, and 40 percent are those who are leaving for the islands," said Jelena Ivulić, head of Jadrolinija in Split, for Splitski Dnevnik.

According to Ivulić, three extra ferry lines for Supetar (Brač) - Split were introduced on Saturday due to the increased return of passengers from the island to the mainland.

The departures at Split Airport are already more noticeable than the arrivals. 

"On Saturday, 115 aircraft will land and take off with about 30,000 passengers, of which about 16,000 are departing and 14,000 are arriving,” said Mate Melvan, head of the Split Airport Reception and Dispatch Service.

According to him, in the first two weeks of August, the number of passengers through the Split Airport increased by about 4 percent compared to the same period last year.

Melvan also said that by mid-August, traffic at the Split Airport had increased by about 150,000 passengers compared to the same period last year.

"About 2.2 million passengers have flown through the Split Airport so far this year, with an estimated 1.1 million more expected by the end of the year," Melvan said.

Recall, Split Airport experienced record numbers this summer. Just after it unveiled its brand new terminal building, the airport recorded the busiest month ever - 723,048 passengers in July,  which was up 4%. From January to July, Split handled 1,825,166 travelers, which is up 6.4% or an additional 109,029 passengers compared to last year. 

There were also more passengers departing at the Split bus station on Saturday than arriving.

"About 400 buses will pass through the Split bus station on Saturday, and we increased the number of bus routes to Zagreb due to the increased number of returnees from holidays," said Split Bus Station Director Mate Jujnović.

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Split Airport continues to break records, and in the first week of August alone, it recorded a 3 percent increase in traffic, reports Splitski Dnevnik on August 10, 2019. 

However, Split Airport is not far behind the Split Ferry Port, which, due to the high interest of the passengers, introduces additional lines to the islands almost every weekend.

This weekend, 220 flights and 57,000 passengers will travel through the Split airport, while 95,000 passengers and 18,000 vehicles will travel through the ferry port. Thus, 115 aircraft carrying 30,000 passengers will take-off and land at Split Airport on Saturday alone, while on Sunday, 103 aircraft carrying 27,000 passengers will be on the runway.

“Cumulatively, the airport's traffic increased by 6.3 percent in the first seven months of this year. In the first eight days of August, we have an increase of three percent again. We are the only airport in Croatia to break the record of 723,000 passengers in just one month, and I am referring specifically to July this year,” said Mate Melvan of Split Airport.

This weekend will also boast big crowds at the ferry port, which will achieve a record 95,000 passengers and 18,000 vehicles from Friday to Sunday, announced Danijela Ivanović from Jadrolinija. The highest demand of passengers is for the island of Brač and Hvar, which will run additional lines, while the rest of the islands will sail according to the usual schedule of navigation.

“Today, we are crowded both on the arrivals and departures. There is more pressure in Supetar on the return than the departure, and from the end of next weekend and elsewhere, we expect more returns than arrivals,” Ivanović added.

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A new tunnel in Split will eventually connect the Ferry Port and the exit below the Koteks skyscraper, which should relieve the traffic unloading from the busy harbor.

Dalmatinski Portal reports on July 30, 2019, that on Tuesday morning, Minister of Transport Oleg Butković was stuck in traffic as he left the port of Split. Namely, as Butković was returning from Korčula and on his way to visit the County Prefect Blaženko Boban, he too had to experience the crowds when leaving the ferry port, which is routine since the new one-way traffic regulation was introduced. Despite all this, Butkovič praised the new regulation, claims Split's Deputy Mayor Nino Vela.

"The new regulation has had positive effects. The city is less congested than last year. That's a fact. But the port is overloaded. No capacity can handle ferry traffic. When it is at its peak, unloading passengers is very difficult, and people have to wait. First, we had to make sure that the city functions, and now we have fought so that the port has an additional road. Thus, a 200-meter tunnel (Tunnel Toć) will connect the port and the exit below the Koteks skyscraper,” says Vela. Recall, the Koteks skyscraper is located on Ul. kralja Zvonimira.

Vela explains that it is an idea about ten years old, which will be 'refined' with details from the master plan.

“The intervention not big, but it is difficult to perform since it is in a tricky place. The Ministry of Transport would finance the project, i.e., Croatian Roads. They would be the promoters of the project. Everyone understood that it was crucial for this project to be realized. If the procedure is to be initiated in the autumn, and if it is not necessary to make significant changes to the spatial planning documentation, the tunnel could be completed by the end of 2022,” said Vela.

There was also talk about the metro and connecting the Split Airport and Ferry Port.

“Not all segments are connected, so there aren't many passengers. Everyone is aware of this. The track through Kaštela to the airport needs to be coordinated. That's seven, eight kilometers missing. HŽ has put a new station and access at Kopilica, but the more important thing is that the project to connect everything is prepared even before the track is built. Thus, HŽ Passenger Transport and Promet agreed on a joint ticket from the Ferry Port to Kaštel Stari, where passengers would board buses to the airport. That could be working next week,” Vela concluded.

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Since the beginning of the tourist season, we’ve outlined just how many travelers are passing through two of Dalmatia’s biggest hubs - the Split Airport and Split Ferry Port.

While the numbers have been above 100,000 for the last month, this weekend brings the busiest weekend of travel yet, reports Splitski Dnevnik on July 27, 2019. 

Namely, the Split Airport and Ferry Port will handle some 117,000 travelers, which is the biggest weekend in traffic this year.

“On Saturday and Sunday, there will be about 58,000 passengers through the Split Airport and 220 aircraft, which is the largest number of passengers and aircraft during a two-day weekend this year," said the Head of the Reception and Dispatch Service at Split Airport, Mate Melvan.

According to Melvan, this weekend is the peak of the tourist season, and at Split Airport, they are preparing to keep traffic operating without interruption. 

"Through the Split Ferry Port, Saturday and Sunday will welcome 59,000 passengers and 11,000 vehicles, which is the biggest weekend turnover so far,” said Jelena Ivulić, the head of Jadrolinija in Split.

The most significant number of passengers with personal vehicles are from Slovenia, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, while English, German and Australian tourists make up most of the travelers at Split Airport. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

Over the weekend, the Split Airport and Ferry Port will see the arrivals and departures of about 100,000 passengers, which is the largest turnover since the beginning of this year’s tourist season, reports Splitski Dnevnik on July 6, 2019.

“On Saturday, until midnight, Split Airport will welcome about 29,000 passengers, and on Sunday there will be about 24,000 passengers, totaling to 53,000 passengers for a record in this year's weekend traffic at the airport," said Head of the Reception and Dispatching at Split Airport, Mate Melvan.

Passenger traffic during the first weekend of July at Split Airport is about five to six percent higher compared to the first weekend of July last year, and will increase every coming weekend until mid-August, Melvan added.

During the day, 109 aircraft will fly to Split Airport, with passengers from all around the world, while 105 aircraft will fly on Sunday.

"The Split Ferry Port this weekend will welcome 47,530 passengers and 8,790 vehicles, which is the largest of this year's weekend traffic at that Ferry Port," said Jelena Ivulić, head of Jadrolinija in Split.

According to the registration plates of the vehicles, most of the tourists traveling to the Central Dalmatian islands are coming from Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic while mostly English tourists are going to Croatia by plane. 

Recall, last weekend, 212 aircraft flew to Split, which brought 52,000 passengers from more than a hundred world destinations, and from last Friday to Sunday, more than 70,000 passengers and more than 13,000 vehicles traveled through the Split Ferry Port. 

The weekend before that, when we formally welcomed the new season, Split estimated 112,000 travelers from Croatia, around Europe and the world thanks to airplanes, ships, ferries, and catamarans.

And the weekend before that, on June 15th, which officially marks the start of the tourist season, figures revealed that 140,000 passengers traveled through the Split Airport and Ferry Port.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

July 2, 2019 - Not even one month after the city and county leaders were photographed in the brand new, air-conditioned train on the inaugural ride from Kopilica to the Split Ferry Port, a dated, vintage locomotive could be seen on the Split railroad tracks this week.

So, why has a much older model replaced our modern metro? Slobodna Dalmacija consulted HŽ Passenger Transport Company to find out more. 

“Since we have a new 7023 series train running on the Split - Split suburbs route and vice versa, on which the air conditioner broke the day before yesterday, in its place is the diesel-motor train of the 7122 series. Ongoing repairs of the new train are in progress, after which it will be in circulation again,” replied the state transport company.

The interest for the new Split metro can be seen by the fact that from June 11 to 30 June, from the central station at the Split Ferry Port to the station in Kopilica, the HŽ Passenger Transport company sold 670 return tickets together with HŽ and ‘Promet’, or just over 35 per day.

Since data for June is still being collected, as tickets are sold by both HŽ and the city public transport company ‘Promet’, at the end of the month, however, the calculation may be somewhat more favorable for passengers.

Whether the number of passengers will increase, time will tell, though it might help if the metro kept to their schedule. 

Namely, as readers revealed to Slobodna Dalmacija, one train scheduled to depart from Kopilica at 2:03 pm didn’t leave a half hour later!

“The worst is that none of the employees knew which train was departing. Thus, 50 passengers changed trains three times, and in the end, we didn’t even leave until 2:40. In the heat they moved us from train to train rather than let us at least stand in the waiting room,” the reader testified.

HŽ said that the cause of the delay was from a defect on the train that drove from Split to Kaštel Stari.

“Because of this, there was a delay for trains in urban-suburban transport. A substitute train has been introduced in traffic and the traffic is gradually normalized. We apologize to passengers who had difficulties with the train delays,” said HŽ Passenger Transport.

On the bright side, Split’s sense of humour has shined through the new metro fiasco, which you can see in the memes below.

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