Croatian Railways Infrastructure presented a new Feasibility Study at a conference on Thursday, December 9 in Vara\u017edin. The Study analysed the option of building and reconstructing the \u010cakovec-Vara\u017edin-Zabok-Zagreb railway. Even before the study was completed, it was well known that the newly built 20 km section of railway would start in Lepoglava. Hence, the project is known to the public as the Lepoglava Coupling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conference in the Vara\u017edin County Palace was hosted by the prefect An\u0111elko Stri\u010dak<\/strong>. The presentation delivered by project manager Marko Car<\/strong> was attended by Krapina-Zagorje County Prefect \u017deljko Kolar<\/strong>, Me\u0111imurje County Representative Ivica Rus<\/strong>, Krapina Mayor Zoran Gregurovi\u0107<\/strong> and representatives of Vara\u017edin, \u010cakovec and Ivanec. The professional public was represented by the Head of the Sector for Railway Infrastructure of the Ministry of Transport, Milan Vukovi\u0107<\/strong>, experts involved in drafting the document, and other guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors of the study from the firms \u017dPD, Granova, IGH Institute and Rijekaprojekt determined the optimal variant for the route, 92 km long: \u010cakovec – Vara\u017edin – Cerje Tu\u017eno – Ivanec – Lepoglava – Per\u0161aves – Bedekov\u010dina – Zabok – Sveti Kri\u017e Za\u010dretje, with a branch to Krapina. Apart from laying and reconstructing the tracks, the planned intervention includes the reconstruction of 9 stations and 17 stops, construction of 2 tunnels and 51 road crossings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Study for the Lepoglava Coupling is important as an anchor for the adaptation of spatial planning documents, preparation of the environmental impact assessment and further documentation required for the implementation of a major infrastructure project. The Lepoglava Coupling, with an estimated construction cost of \u20ac590 million, surely qualifies as such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ambitious project would put a stamp on a decade of Croatian Railways Infrastructure operations. The reason why implementation is being considered right now is the availability of funds, economic and strategic benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The economy of northern Croatia would receive a great impetus from an improved connection between Me\u0111imurje, Vara\u017edin and Krapina-Zagorje counties with Zagreb. For instance, a trip from Vara\u017edin to Zagreb would be shortened from an extravagant 3.5 hours to a much more rational 50 minutes. Higher speeds would prompt passengers to stop looking at train travel as a waste of precious time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From a broader vantage point, a shorter route from the port of Rijeka to Central Europe would make this railway route more attractive to international freight carriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Feasibility Study is the main deliverable of the project “Rail connection within the Central Croatia functional region – Lepoglava Coupling” worth \u20ac1.849.480. The preparation of the Study and cost-benefit analysis was supported with \u20ac1.270.393 from the Cohesion Fund.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This Thursday, the Feasibility Study for the project of building and reconstructing the railway between \u010cakovec and Zagreb, known as the Lepoglava Coupling, was presented at the Vara\u017edin County Palace. The key document determined the variant solution for the route and calculated the costs and benefits of the project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4548,"template":"","acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNorth of Croatia rallies behind the project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n