Reconstruction and upgrade on the Križevci – Koprivnica – state border railway line section

The project envisages the reconstruction of the existing track and the construction of a second track along the entire 42,6 km rail section, construction of a new Drnje – Novo Drnje – Botovo connecting track, reconstruction of the existing Koprivnica station, reconstruction and conversion of the Mučna Reka station into a stop, dismantling of the existing Drnje and Botovo stations and construction of new Lepavina and Novo Drnje station buildings, reconstruction of the existing stops in Majurec, Vojakovački-Kloštar, Carevdar and Sokolovac and construction of a new stop in Peteranec, construction of car parks and underpasses at stop locations, replacement of level crossings with grade separated level crossings, construction of noise barriers, reconstruction and upgrade of stable electric traction facilities, modernization of the electrification system, control-command and signalling subsystems, installation of level 1 ETCS, protection and relocation of utilities and other infrastructure. Reconstruction of horizontal curves, ancillary buildings and stable electric traction facilities shall allow the nominal projected speed of 160 km/h to be achieved along the entire section length. Additionally, reception of 750 m long interoperable freight trains will be enabled at the stations, with some able to receive 400 m long interoperable passenger trains.

With this large project, HŽ Infrastruktura continues with the modernization of the Mediterranean Corridor, which through the Port of Rijeka, Zagreb and Budapest, connects the Iberian Peninsula with the Hungarian-Ukrainian border, and thus with a single trans-European transport network (TEN-T). It is part of a project to establish a high-efficiency double-track railway for mixed transport from the Hungarian border to the Port of Rijeka. The project plans to upgrade the second track and reconstruct the existing track from Križevci to the Hungarian border. A speed of 160 km / h will be provided, with a limit of 150 km / h in Lepavina and 100 km / h in Koprivnica, since these are urban areas with specific restrictions. The new two-track section will follow the existing route with the exception of the Carevdar – Lepavina subsection. The total length of the section of the Križevci – Koprivnica – state border with Hungary will be reduced from 43.2 km to 42.6 km.

The project envisages: Reconstruction of 2 stations: Lepavina and Koprivnica; construction of a new station in Novo Drnje; reconstruction of 4 stops: Majurec, Carevdar, Vojakovački Kloštar and Sokolovac; construction of a new Peteranec stop and conversion of the existing Mučna Reka station into a stop; construction of 7 bridges, 1 gallery and 3 viaducts, one of which is a crossing for wild animals; construction of 8 road overpasses, 3 road underpasses and 9 underpasses; construction of vaulted and parallel roads along the railway line in order to enable access to all plots whose existing approaches will be interrupted by the construction of the railway; works on the construction and reconstruction of the catenary and other electric power plants, such as electric traction plants, power plants and outdoor lighting in stops and stations; works on the installation of new elements and devices on the signal-safety, traffic-control and telecommunication system.

Twice the Rail, Twice the Speed: Second Track of Križevci – Koprivnica –
Hungarian Border
Modernization of more than 42 kilometers of railway infrastructure and construction of
around 40 new structures
The project includes works on the reconstruction of the existing track and the construction of a second
track from Križevci to the Hungarian border. In addition, the contact network and other power
installations, as well as signal-safety and telecommunication devices, will be renewed and modernized.
The new track ends at the state border with Hungary, where it connects to the existing infrastructure of
the Hungarian State Railways.
As part of the works, seven new bridges are being built, most notably the 340-meter-long steel bridge
over the Drava, worth 23.6 million euros. In total, about six thousand cubic meters of concrete were
used in its construction for foundations, retaining walls, columns and abutments, about 700 tons of
reinforcement and four thousand tons of steel for the construction of the bridge structure itself. The
parts of the metal structure that make up the bridge were produced in Turkey and were brought to the
construction site in 184 truckloads.
Viaducts Vojakovački Kloštar, Carevdar and Komari, eight road overpasses, three road underpasses, nine
underpasses and the Velika Mučna gallery are also being built. Seven out of 13 railway-road crossings, as
well as all four pedestrian crossings, are being leveled, while new devices are being installed to secure
the crossing at the remaining six. The project also includes the construction of distributor and parallel
roads along the railway line.

Reconstruction of horizontal arches, railway structures and stable electric traction plants will enable the achievement of the nominal design speed of 160 km / h along the entire length of the section. Moreover, the stations will enable the reception of interoperable freight trains with a length of 750 m, and in some with the reception of interoperable trains for the transport of passengers with a length of 400 m. The project represents the second phase of a more comprehensive project aimed at upgrading and developing the conventional railway Zagreb – Dugo Selo – Koprivnica – DG with Hungary, on the previously determined section of the Mediterranean Corridor Rijeka – Zagreb – Budapest. One of the main goals of establishing the corridor is to connect southern European ports with Eastern European markets.

Establishment of a high-efficiency double-track railway on the corridor from Rijeka to the
Hungarian border
The Hungarian border – Botovo – Dugo Selo railway is of exceptional importance for international traffic.
The reconstruction and upgrading of the section will increase the capacity of the railway and increase
the speed of traffic and the safety level on the corridor in order to effectively connect the railway to the
single trans-European transport network (Trans-European Transport Network – TEN-T).
With the completion of the new line, trains will be able to reach speeds of up to 160 km/h. This will
shorten the travel time from Koprivnica to Zagreb to approximately 45 minutes. There is no doubt that
the convergence of Koprivnica and Zagreb will act as a great impulse for the quality of life in Podravina,
everyday life, travel and business opportunities, but above all for rail freight transport.
The new line will enable the operation of the longest train sets in Croatia, including interoperable freight
trains 750 meters long and passenger trains 400 meters long. These will mostly be freight trains that run
from and to the port of Rijeka. The purpose of Croatia’s largest infrastructure project is to increase the
throughput of the Mediterranean Corridor so that as much cargo as possible can pass from Rijeka to
Hungary and its destinations beyond. The expected impact on the habits of people who will use railway
services more often in their daily life adds importance to the project.
Following the progress of the construction of the new, modern railway connection between Croatia and
Hungary is possible by viewing the videos filmed at the construction site. The website of the project and
a 3D visualization/animation of the project route, displaying all line structures (overpasses, underpasses,

bridges, cuttings, embankments), stops and stations with musical background and narration, available
by following the link, were also produced.