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The construction of the lowland railway from Zagreb to Rijeka, a project with an estimated value of around three billion euros, is entering the operational phase.
HŽ Infrastruktura is in the process public procurement received two offers for providing expert technical assistance in the preparation and implementation of an innovative contracting model (the so-called Alliance model) for the sections Karlovac - Skradnik and Skradnik - Krasica - Tijani.
What does the lowland railway bring to tourism?
This railway route is the backbone of the development of the entire northern Adriatic and its hinterland. For the tourism sector, this means resolving long-standing infrastructure problems. bottlenecks and better integration with European issuing markets.
The new route will be approximately 175 kilometers long, which is even 56 kilometers shorter from the existing route, and the line will allow passenger trains to reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour.
The construction of more than 30 tunnels and viaducts is planned. Among them, the tunnel through the Velika Kapela massif, which is 14 kilometers long, stands out, which will become the longest tunnel in Croatia.
An important element of the project is environmental and economic sustainability. The electrified two-track railway is part of three important ones trans-European transport corridors (Mediterranean, Baltic-Adriatic and Western Balkans - Eastern Mediterranean).
The project has received a decision on the acceptability of the project for the environment, and the development of preliminary designs is underway. For the sections under preparation, submission of applications for the issuance of location permits is expected by the end of 2026.
With the construction of this railway and the development of the terminal River Gateway, the Rijeka region is positioning itself as an unavoidable transport hub, which will facilitate the arrival of tourists in the long term and increase the competitiveness of the Croatian tourism and port sectors.
Offers received
How is it written on website, July 14, 2026. HŽ Infrastruktura opened the submitted bids in the public procurement for Technical Assistance for Procurement and Implementation Alliance agreement for the design and construction of the lowland railway in the Republic of Croatia (Zagreb - Rijeka), namely the Karlovac - Skradnik and Skradnik - Krasica - Tijani sections.
The following offers have been received:
- Vision Oy, Helsinki, Finland - EUR 1.020.000,00 (plus VAT)
- Bidders' association: KPMG Croatia doo - lead contractor, PROJEKT JEDNAKO RAZVOJ doo - member, Law firm KALLAY & PARTNERI doo - member, Zagreb, Croatia - 692.500,00 euros (plus VAT)
This is followed by an evaluation of the offers and a decision on the selection.
The value of the purchase is 1,5 million euros (plus VAT). The duration of the contract is five years (60 months) from the date of signing.
The main objectives of this procurement:
- development of a public procurement strategy for the implementation of works contracts according to the Alliance model (includes design with obtaining building permits and execution of works)
- proposal of the optimal type of two-stage procurement procedure and preparation of procurement documentation
- participation in all stages of the public procurement procedure, including negotiations with economic operators that have expressed interest in participating in the Alliance contract (negotiations on costs and target cost, formation of the terms of the Alliance works contract and development of the contract model)
- drawing up proposals and the final contract for the works and related technical specifications/requirements
- consulting during the construction phase
- advising clients in audit, appeal and court proceedings
Alliance agreement It is a modern model of contracting large and complex infrastructure projects based on a partnership between the client and the contractor, which aims to speed up the construction process, i.e. public procurement.
Technical assistance This process is necessary because the aforementioned model has not been used in the Republic of Croatia so far, and the lowland railway project will represent the first application of such an approach in the national infrastructure system.
The value of the works, the source of financing and the construction deadline will be defined after the development of the conceptual design and analysis of market prices at the time of the tender for the works.
The Karlovac - Skradnik and Skradnik - Krasica - Tijani sections are in the phase of developing preliminary designs and it is planned to submit a request for obtaining location permits by the end of 2026, while in 2025 the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition issued a Decision on the acceptability of the project for the environment.
The lowland railway is part of three significant trans-European transport corridors – the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea - Adriatic Sea and the Western Balkans - Eastern Mediterranean, which connect the port of Rijeka with Hungary and other Central European countries.
The length of the railway from Zagreb to Rijeka will be approximately 175 km, which will be 56 km shorter than the existing length. The planned double-track line will be electrified, designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h for passenger trains and 120 km/h for freight trains, and will feature five new stations and one stop.
Given that the new route will pass through very demanding terrain, the construction of a large number of track facilities is planned: more than 30 viaducts and tunnelsAmong them will be the longest tunnel in Croatia, 14 kilometers long, which will pass through the Velika Kapela massif. For comparison, the current longest road tunnels in Croatia, Sveti Rok and Mala Kapela, are together about 12 kilometers long.
The new rail route is necessary for the newly built Rijeka Gateway terminal to achieve its full purpose, i.e. so that as much cargo as possible from the Port of Rijeka to Hungary and Central Europe can arrive by rail.
Its construction will significantly increase safety and capacity railway transport, enabling the operation of trains 750 m long, which opens up possibilities for further development of the Rijeka port basin, including the expansion of the port on the island of Krk (Omišalj), which would make the Port of Rijeka the leading port in the northern Adriatic.
/ / / The Rijeka - Zagreb lowland railway shortens the distance between the two cities by 56 km.
Source: HŽ Infrastructure
