Croatia's HŽ Infrastruktura invests €25 million to upgrade 28 embankments and 17 bridges

en.Wedoany.com Reported - HŽ Infrastruktura expects that most of the works under its ongoing "Elimination of Critical Points on the Croatian Railway Network" programme will be completed by the end of summer. The programme covers 28 embankments and 17 bridges, with a total eligible cost of €25 million, and all remaining works are scheduled to be finished by the end of 2026.

The programme involves multiple lines, including the Oštarije–Split, Sisak, Slavonski Šamac, Zaprešić–Savski Marof routes, and the Zagreb marshalling yard area. Of the funding, 81% comes from grants under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), with the remaining 19% covered by the Croatian state budget.

To date, construction has been completed at 27 cuttings and several bridge sites along the Oštarije–Split line. Completed structures include the Kolski put bridge near Knin, the Kambelovac bridge, the Moštanik bridge on the Strizivojna–Vrpolje–Slavonski Šamac line, the Voćinka and Vojlovica bridges between Čačinci and Slatina, and the Brdovec pedestrian bridge near Zaprešić.

In the final stages of construction are bridges on the Okučani–Nova Gradiška and Sibinj–Slavonski Brod sections, as well as the Penkovica bridge and the Greda–Sisak bridge on line M502. The Sava Jakuševac bridge and the Zvečaj embankment remain under construction. Works on the Lužnica bridge on the Zaprešić–Savski Marof section are scheduled to begin in early autumn.

Part of the delay stems from adverse winter weather and high water levels, while some railway lines could not be temporarily closed due to the simultaneous implementation of other strategic modernisation projects. HŽ Infrastruktura stated that the programme aims to increase train speeds and safety, bringing the infrastructure into compliance with EU Technical Specifications for Interoperability, although specific speed improvement targets for each section after rehabilitation have not yet been published.

Additionally, as reported by RailwayPro in 2025, the Koprivnica–Novo Drnje section is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, and a development agreement for the Zadar railway network has been signed, covering connections to the airport, port, and industrial zones.