Last year, Croatia became the 28th member state of the European Union. After Slovenia, it is the second EU member state from the former Yugoslav Block. The Adriatic Sea state focuses on the absorption of EU non-reimbursable funds for redefining and modernising the transport sector. It accounts for 8% of Croatia’s gross domestic product.
Croatia is crossed by four pan-European transport corridors of which three railway corridors X, Vb and Vc, the fourth being the pan-European Corridor VII – Danube and the authorities have developed complex investment programmes to develop the country’s sections on these three railway transport corridors. The Government in Zagreb invests significantly in its section of the pan-European Corridor X.
However, public money was focused more on the road transport sector, so that now the Croatian railway sector is confronted with significant challenges as it needs major investments to achieve full integration in the Trans-European transport network.
Croatia’s railway company has experienced serious organisation changes so that it is currently divided into five independent companies: HŽ Holding, HŽ Passenger Transport, HŽ Cargo, HŽ Infrastructure and HŽ Traction.
In 2010, the three railway companies in Croatia (HZ), Slovenia (SJ) and Serbia (SZ) decided to set up Cargo 10 company which seeks to boost transport on the pan-European transport corridor X but also to increase freight transport in the three countries.
Apart from the development of the national railway infrastructure and of cross-border corridors, freight transport and its intensification also have a significant role. Due to its geographical position, Croatia has a significant importance for setting efficient transport connections between Western Europe and the Balkans area, as well as for the connections between Central Europe and the basin of the Adriatic and the Mediterranean seas. Croatia has direct railway connections with Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The construction of logistics terminals will be a constant source of increasing the contribution to the national economy and will also provide Croatia with transit potential for the transport of freight between east and west, once works to the pan-European Corridor X are completed.
Croatia plans to build the logistics terminal Miklavja, located in Matulji Povince, almost 17 km west of Rijeka, along Rijeka – Ljubljana railway (Slovenia). The transport route crossing Rijeka, next to the integration of Rijeka Port, the most important Croatia port, is the main land-maritime transport connection in Croatia.
Miklavja logistics centre, which will also include the intermodal terminal, permits the development of many logistics activities, as well as production activities, which will improve the market potential by approaching to the terminals of Rijeka Port and of Rijeka transport route.
Thus, the development of the logistics centre includes the use of a surface of 160 ha with the possibility of further expansion. The cost of the project amounts to EUR 984 Million. Due to its position and connections to the European transport routes, the logistics centre will ensure an extended circle of investors, especially from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, the development of different projects, such as logistics and distribution centres, production and transport facilities.
Potential investors could choose the investment through public-private partnership or concession contracts.
Miklavja terminal will have six railway lines stretched on 17 ha and different extended platforms for the construction of facilities of production and logistics.
Share on:
