Project summary
The project has successfully reconstructed and renovated the entire 18.71 km single-track railway line, including the refurbishment of associated stations and stops. It also completed the electrification of the line, replaced all existing level rail-road crossings with grade-separated crossings, and modernized interlocking, signalling, and telecommunication systems to enhance safety and efficiency.
The reconstruction of individual horizontal arches and the complete renovation of the rail superstructure and railway buildings have enabled the line to achieve the projected nominal speed of 120 km/h along most of its length.
The project successfully upgraded, electrified, reconstructed, and renovated the existing single-track railway line between Vinkovci and Vukovar. It included the reconstruction of the Vukovar/Borovo Naselje and Vukovar railway stations, as well as the Nuštar and Bršadin-Lipovača stops. All necessary works on the railway infrastructure subsystems—construction, control and signaling, safety, and power—were completed. This modernization addressed the previous issues related to track geometry, outdated signaling and safety devices, and lack of electrification, which had limited the railway’s utilization.
The following activities have been performed:
- Upgrade of the track superstructure enabling the transport of vehicles of maximum weight (load model D4: 22.5 KN / a and 8.0 t / m);
- Modernization of stations and stops (tracks and platforms);
- Replacement of the steel bridge at km 14 + 484 and reconstruction of the concrete bridge at km 7 + 602 to enable the E5 load model (25 t / o and 8.8 t / m);
- Electrification of the railway (single-phase AC system 25 kV, 50Hz), upgrade of EVP Jankovci (installation of a new transformer for reactive energy compensation);
- Design of signaling and telecommunication system for future ETCS (ETMS L1);
- Improvement of the routes of the existing railway line on sections that do not allow the designed speed (120 km / h);
- Improvement of the railway undercarriage on sections where necessary (sub-curtain, geotextile where necessary);
- Improvement of the drainage system; Modernization of station buildings and stops, including accesses and parking lots;
- Renovation and signaling (sound and light devices) – safety devices for level crossings.
The ultimate goals accomplished by this project are:
- improved accessibility;
- improved access to the port of Vukovar;
- improved interoperability (the project was designed with respect to TEN-T and interoperable standards);
- increased capacity of the railway;
- improved energy efficiency;
- improved environmental impact;
- improved level of passenger services;
- improved intermodality (next to each station and stop there is a parking lot for cars and bicycles, and there are bus stops nearby, on average at a distance of 500m);
- improved operational reliability;
- improved safety (the project included safety elements in line with the EU Railway Safety Directive).
Project results
The project successfully achieved the reconstruction of 18.71 km of railway track, electrified the entire section, and reinforced the infrastructure to support the movement of trains with an axle load of 22.5 t. It also included the installation of modern signaling, safety (SS), and telecommunication (TK) systems, the reconstruction of stations and stops along the route, and the resolution of level crossings through safety improvements and reduction in number, significantly enhancing the efficiency and safety of rail traffic on this section.
The project successfully established a more efficient and reliable railway connection between the Port of Vukovar—Croatia’s primary inland navigation port—and its hinterland. By modernizing and electrifying the railway infrastructure, the project aligned with EU priorities for fostering sustainable freight transport dominated by inland waterways and rail. With freight traffic at the Port of Vukovar on the rise in recent years, the implemented improvements have laid the groundwork for a continued shift from road to rail transport, helping reduce environmental impact and easing congestion on road networks.
The project contributed to the achievement of the following goals:
- improving the accessibility of the port of Vukovar and its connection with the hinterland;
- promoting a modal shift from road to more environmentally friendly modes of transport;
- improving the operational reliability of the railway;
- increasing the capacity of the railway;
- improving traffic safety on the route by installing modern signaling and telecommunications systems (in accordance with the EU directive on railway safety);
- improving the environmental impact due to the partial shift of traffic from road to rail, as well as by reducing noise and vibration produced by the railway;
- improving the environmental sustainability and energy efficiency of the business due to the electrification of the line;
- improving line interoperability (the project was designed with TEN-T and interoperable standards in mind: electrification, increase of maximum load capacity, etc.);
- improving resilience to climate change; improving intermodality (parking for cars and bicycles is provided next to each station and stop, and there are bus stops nearby (on average at a distance of 500m)).
The project has reduced travel costs through:
- modal transition from road to rail, mainly freight, which improves the urban environment and overall energy efficiency in transport;
- reduction of operating and maintenance costs;
- improving security conditions; reduction of noise and CO2 emissions from traffic; reduction of travel time – for passenger trains from 40 min to 20 min, for freight trains from 50 min to 30 min; improving the connectivity and accessibility of the port of Vukovar.
