Croatian Civil Engineering
From crisis to concrete: A1 and the Adriatic–Ionian corridor—progress you can drive on. The railways reflect a slower path of change.
Croatia’s railways tell a story of extremes — abandoned lines left to history, a century-old survivor still running daily, and billion-euro projects reshaping the map. This feuilleton dives into the contrasts, asking whether Croatia will remain reactive or seize the chance to lead in 21st-century rail innovation.
Abandoned Dreams: Samobor, Kumrovec, and Istria
- There used to be a Samoborček (Zagreb - Samobor - Bregana railway ), opened in 1901, closed in 1979.
- Today, renovation has been planned for decades railway to Samobor, but nothing concrete has been built yet. The project is occasionally put back on the agenda.
Samobor once had its own charming narrow-gauge train, the Samoborček, carrying generations from Zagreb to the small town until its closure in 1979. The line to Kumrovec, part of the Savski Marof–Celje railway, fell silent in 2002 and has since stood as a reminder of what neglect can erase.
Istria, despite its booming tourism and population growth, remains cut off from the national railway network. Today, a traveler from Rijeka to Pula must take a bus to Lupoglav before transferring onto a local diesel train to reach Pula. This hybrid solution from HŽ Putnički prijevoz is a patchwork, not a strategy.
The missing link under Mount Učka has been debated for decades. Some proposed a costly direct tunnel; others suggested detours through Gorski Kotar. But a smarter route — Lupoglav to Matulji via Boljun and Lanišće — could offer a balanced compromise: avoiding devastating tunneling while reconnecting Istria to the national grid.
A Living Railway: The Optimism of Stubičke Toplice
- There is a railway line Savski Marof - Kumrovec - Celje (the so-called Zagorje Railway ).
- However, the section from Harmica to Kumrovec towards Slovenia has not been open to traffic since 2002 because traffic was weak and the infrastructure was poor.
- Formally, the railway has not been abolished, it is just out of use.
Against these stories of abandonment stands one remarkable survivor: the Zabok–Stubičke Toplice line. Opened in 1916, it has operated in continuous service for more than a century.
Every day, dozens of trains link Zagreb with Stubičke Toplice, carrying commuters, patients visiting the spa, and day-trippers. The line is neither electrified nor double-tracked, yet it persists as a reliable, unbroken connection — proof that railways can endure when communities value them.
In the feuilleton spirit, Stubičke Toplice is more than a local service: it is a symbol of optimism, showing that Croatian railways are not just relics of the past but can remain living arteries when cared for.
The Big Project: Dugo Selo–Novska
While some lines are forgotten, others are reborn with massive investment. On July 21, 2025, Indian company Afcons Infrastructure Limited won Croatia’s largest railway tender: the €620 million reconstruction and double-tracking of the 83-kilometer Dugo Selo–Novska line.
This project, co-funded by the European Union, will raise train speeds to 160 km/h, modernize safety systems, and significantly increase capacity on a corridor central to Croatia’s east–west axis. It marks a striking contrast: while Istria waits for connection, Slavonia sees billions invested.
The participation of an Indian company is also symbolic. Just as ISRO’s frugal space missions captured the world’s attention, Afcons’ competitive bid shows how India’s engineering expertise is reshaping European infrastructure. Croatia, in this sense, becomes a testing ground for global civil engineering alliances.
The Wider Context: Double Tracks, Noise, and New Visions
- Yes, there's a train here!
- The Zabok - Stubičke Toplice railway line still functions today , it is a local railway used by passengers, especially from Zagorje towards Zagreb.
- It's one of the few "therapeutic" railways in our country - people literally use the train to go to the spa.
Only about 10% of Croatia’s railway network is double-tracked. This bottleneck limits capacity and discourages investment. At the same time, many residents resist expansion, citing noise, disturbance, and a preference for less traffic in their communities.
It is a paradox: railways struggle to be profitable without higher volumes, yet public sentiment often leans toward minimizing movement. This cultural resistance may prove just as challenging as financial or technical barriers.
Looking forward, the debate must also include levitation trains and superconductors. While this may sound futuristic, the global superconductor market is growing at double-digit rates, driven by breakthroughs in energy, medicine, and transport. Maglev systems promise silent, fast, and low-emission travel — the exact opposite of the noisy, slow single-track diesel trains still running in many parts of Croatia.
A pilot project, perhaps a Zagreb–Airport maglev link, could place Croatia on the map of rail innovation. Even if symbolic, it would show readiness to move beyond maintenance toward visionary engineering.
Europe’s Wallet: How EU Funds Drive Croatian Rail
- Istria was once connected by railway through the Austrian Empire (Pula - Divača - Ljubljana).
- Today there is a railway line Pula - Buzet - Divača , but it is not connected to the rest of the Croatian network. (it is cut off by the border with Slovenia).
- Traffic exists, but it is slow and infrequent - more of a local nature.
- Modernization plans exist, but implementation is slow.
Behind almost every major railway project in Croatia stands the European Union’s Cohesion and Structural Funds. Since Croatia’s accession in 2013, Brussels has been the decisive financier of modernization, supplying billions for transport infrastructure that the national budget alone could never sustain.
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The Dugo Selo–Novska upgrade is a prime example: out of the €620 million price tag, a substantial portion is covered by EU co-financing, reducing Croatia’s burden and ensuring that work meets European standards for safety, interoperability, and speed. Similar funding has already supported the modernization of the Zagreb–Rijeka corridor and sections of the Zagreb–Vinkovci–Serbia corridor, both critical Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) routes.
But EU funding comes with conditions:
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Projects must align with TEN-T priorities, linking Croatia more closely to European corridors.
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Investments must promote sustainable, low-emission transport, meaning money for rail takes precedence over roads.
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Projects undergo strict environmental and financial audits, slowing timelines but ensuring accountability.
- Stubičke Toplice - the train is running.
- Samobor, Kumrovec, Istria - the train only partially exists or is not in service.
For Istria, this context is sobering. Without inclusion in the TEN-T core network, the missing railway link under Mount Učka struggles to secure EU support. While central and eastern Croatia see billions flowing in, Istria is left reliant on patchwork bus-rail connections, not because the need is less, but because the funding architecture is stacked against regions outside core corridors.
EU funds thus create a paradox: they empower Croatia to leap forward with world-class infrastructure in some places, while leaving other regions further behind. The challenge for policymakers is not only to absorb Brussels’ money efficiently but also to strategically expand eligibility so that forgotten regions like Istria can benefit.
From nostalgia for Samoborček to visions of maglev trains, the future of Croatian rail will depend on choices made today. Will policymakers and citizens embrace connectivity, sustainability, and bold innovation — or let silence and patchwork prevail?
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