Rail transport in Croatia

Rail transport in Croatia has a long history, starting in the 19th century. Today, the main company for railways is called Croatian Railways. After Croatia became independent in the early 1990s, this company has taken care of the tracks and trains.

The big company was later split into three parts. One part, called HŽ Passenger Transport, looks after the trains that carry people. Another part, HŽ Infrastructure, works on the tracks and stations. The last part, HŽ Cargo, handles the trains that move goods from place to place.

Rail transport is important because it helps people travel and lets goods be moved around the country quickly and safely. It connects cities and towns, making life easier for everyone.

History

The first railway in what is now Croatia was built in 1860. It was part of the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary at the time. The railway ran from Nagykanizsa in Hungary through Čakovec and Kotoriba to Pragerski in Slovenia.

More railways were added in 1873, connecting Rijeka, an important port, with Trieste, Vienna, Zagreb, and Budapest. After World War I, these railways were operated by Yugoslav Railways. When Croatia became independent from Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Croatian Railways was created. Over time, this company was split into different parts to manage infrastructure, passengers, and cargo.

Types of passenger train lines

Main article: Train categories in Europe § Croatia

Croatia has many kinds of passenger train lines for different needs. Some trains go long distances between big cities. Others help people travel between smaller towns and nearby areas. These different trains make it easy for people to move around the country.

Power systems

Croatia's railway network used a 3 kV DC system, starting with the Rijeka–Zagreb line. This helped power trains through the Gorski kotar area.

Later, the Zagreb–Belgrade railway and other lines changed to a 25 kV/50 Hz system. Today, all electrified railways in Croatia use this 25 kV/50 Hz system. All railway power comes from an overhead catenary system.

Rolling stock

Main article: Rolling stock of the Croatian Railways

Rolling stock are the vehicles that travel on railway tracks, like trains and locomotives. In Croatia, these vehicles are taken care of by Croatian Railways, the country’s main rail company. The rolling stock helps move people and goods around the country quickly.

Rail tracks

In Croatia, trains can go as fast as 160 km/h (99 mph) on some tracks. This speed is possible on parts of the main route from Novska to Tovarnik, especially between Novska-Okučani and Vinkovci-Tovarnik.

The fastest train ever in Croatia went 185 km/h (115 mph). This happened on the track between Novska and Nova Gradiška. The train used for this was built by Rade Končar and is now known as the HŽ1142 class. The train safety system used is called Indusi, which is an older version of a modern German system called Punktförmige Zugbeeinflussung. Signals on the tracks are mostly automatic, especially on the main lines.

Railway network

Main article: List of railway lines in Croatia

Rail transport in Croatia started in the 19th century. After the country became independent in the early 1990s, a company called Croatian Railways began caring for the tracks and trains. This company was later split into three parts to handle passengers, infrastructure, and cargo separately.