Croatia upgrades railway maintenance hubs and expands low‑floor train fleet

HŽ Putnički prijevoz has launched a procurement worth €255,000 for project documentation to modernise eight railway vehicle maintenance centres across Croatia, including sites in Koprivnica, Osijek, Varaždin, Pula, the Split suburb and three phases in Vinkovci. The upgrades will address ageing infrastructure such as asbestos‑cement roofs, worn floors and outdated service channels, and will add facilities for low‑floor train washing and a new paint shop with a thermal chamber.

Končar Group, a leading Croatian industrial company, has supplied 70 new low‑floor trains to the national rail network and recently signed financing and purchase agreements with HŽ Putnički prijevoz for six battery‑electric trains and a hybrid charging station at Kotoriba, valued at €53.6 million. More than 70 % of the components are produced domestically, and the battery‑electric model, introduced in September 2024, is the first of its kind in commercial use in Europe, offering a fully electric drive powered by onboard batteries and overhead lines.

These initiatives aim to modernise Croatia's railway infrastructure, improve service reliability and support a transition to greener, carbon‑neutral transport.