by InTrieste
The first major step in the long-awaited modernization of the Istrian railway is finally taking shape, as officials signed a contract on Monday to upgrade a key stretch of track on the historic rail line. Built in 1876 under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the 144-kilometer (89-mile) railway was once a critical transportation artery, connecting the strategic port of Pula with Vienna and Trieste.
The agreement, signed in this small town in the heart of the Istrian Peninsula, calls for the reconstruction of a 50-kilometer (31-mile) segment of the line, stretching from Sveti Petar u Šumi to Buzet, near the Slovenian border. The project is part of a broader push by the Croatian government to revive the nation’s long-neglected railway infrastructure, which has suffered from decades of underinvestment and deterioration.
“This is just the beginning of a larger transformation,” Oleg Butković, Croatia’s deputy prime minister and minister of maritime affairs, transport, and infrastructure, said at the signing ceremony. “Revitalizing the Istrian railway is a key component of our €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) plan to strengthen the country’s railway network and expand rail service for both passengers and freight.”
The Croatian state railway company, HŽ Infrastruktura, awarded the contract to Strabag, an Austrian construction firm, which has committed to completing the project within three years. The €5.5 million ($5.9 million) investment will fund the installation of new rails and sleepers, the modernization of station switches, and enhanced safety measures at level crossings.
Currently, trains travel along this segment at speeds of just 50 to 60 km/h (31 to 37 mph), a consequence of the track’s poor condition. Once the reconstruction is completed, speeds will increase to 80 km/h (50 mph), restoring the line to its original efficiency.
The project comes amid renewed interest in rail transport across Europe, as nations seek sustainable alternatives to road and air travel. For Croatia, the Istrian railway has long been a symbol of a bygone era—one that could soon see new life.
A second phase of the project will extend reconstruction to the southernmost section of the line, linking Sveti Petar u Šumi to the coastal city of Pula. The government is also exploring the possibility of reintroducing freight transport, which was historically used to supply the Scoglio Olivi shipyard in Pula. Additionally, a feasibility study is underway to extend the railway from Lupoglav to Raša, with further expansion to the Valpićok freight terminal.
Funding for the railway’s overhaul comes from a mix of European Union grants and a €900 million ($970 million) loan from the European Investment Bank. The infusion of capital is part of a broader strategy to modernize Croatia’s aging rail network, which has struggled to compete with road transport since the country’s independence in the 1990s.
Passenger service on the Istrian railway remains modest, with just 190,000 travelers per year. But as work progresses, officials hope that the line—once a relic of the past—will soon become a vital link in Croatia’s future transportation network.
