Integration of the Railway Line in Corridor VB in the Traffic System of Croatia and Europe

Abstract

Significant and generally well-known advantages of railwayscompared to other transport branches, considered in theframework of the traffic development of Croatia and the widerenvironment, put an emphasis on the significance of high-qualityrailway connections in the Pan-European VB corridor. In orderto raise the quality of the traffic services on this railwayroute to the level that is required by the contempormy Europeancriteria, it needs to be modemized. This would at the same timecontribute to the integration into the overall European trafficsystem.The paper presents the possibilities of improving the mentionedrailway connecting of the Adriatic coast with other partsof Croatia and Europe. Special significance belongs to theRijeka-Zagreb-Botovo (Hungary) railway line. Significant improvementof the railway traffic in this area would be achievedby constructing a new railway line from Rijeka to Trieste, whichis the logical extension of the Pan-European VB corridor. Theconstruction of a railway line in the Adriatic-Ionian corridoralong the Adriatic coast from Trieste to Dubrovnik and furthertowards the border would contribute to better connecting of allthe regions, cities and ports which it would pass through and itwould have a positive impact on the overall economic developmentof the Republic of Croatia. Regarding the interests and requirementsof the intemational traffic, the Adriatic railway linewould present the shortest way of connecting the North-westEurope with the South of Europe and the Near East. The levelof service quality expected on the new line would contribute togreater attraction of cargo and passengers to the tourist, portand other capacities in Croatia.