Croatia poised to become key rail hub with new Adriatic-Ionian corridor

A coalition of European and Croatian officials signed the Adriatic-Ionian Railway Corridor initiative, targeting a continuous rail link from Italy through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Greece. The route will join major Adriatic ports, including Trieste, Koper, Rijeka, Zadar, Šibenik, Split and Ploče, enhancing freight and passenger flows. Nikolina Brnjac highlighted the project’s significance for connecting Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia to the broader European network.

State Secretary Žarko Tušek stressed the need for modern rail to boost logistics and TEN-T positioning, noting a forthcoming tender for the Učka tunnel and a low-land line to Rijeka. EU financing of up to €81 billion is available, with a key conference slated for next year in Brussels where the plan will be presented to Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas. HŽ Infrastruktura’s Damir Lončarić pledged full technical support for the venture.