Croatia has signed a €677 million construction contract to double-track the 83-kilometre Dugo Selo–Novska railway east of Zagreb, eliminating the final single-track bottleneck on the TEN-T corridor that carries rail freight from Central Europe toward Serbia and destinations further east.

Infrastructure manager HŽ Infrastruktura signed the deal with Indian contractor Afcons Infrastructure Limited on 1 October. The government calls it the largest railway project in Croatian history.

What does the project change for freight?

The Dugo Selo–Novska line sits on Croatia's RH1 corridor — formerly Pan-European Corridor X — which runs from the Slovenian border toward Serbia. It is the only remaining single-track section of that corridor on Croatian territory.

Removing it matters directly for capacity. A second track along the full 83 kilometres will let passenger and freight services run without the current single-line working constraints on one of Europe's key west–east rail axes. For operators running trains between Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and beyond, the upgrade opens the path to denser paths and more reliable transit times once the line goes live.

The scope goes beyond a second track. The package includes:

• Full reconstruction of the existing railway;
• Station upgrades at Ivanić-Grad, Popovača, Kutina and Novska;
• Grade separation of more than 30 level crossings;
• Installation of ETCS Level 1 and new signalling equipment.

Once complete, the line will support speeds of up to 160 km/h.

When will trains actually run on it?

Not soon. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said construction should begin in the first half of 2027, with works scheduled to run five years and ten months. That puts completion around 2032–33 if the timetable holds — meaning shippers on the corridor face close to six years of construction disruption before the capacity gains arrive.

The €677 million contract covers construction only. The wider project budget sits at almost €900 million, including land acquisition, documentation and supervision. According to Croatian public broadcaster HRT, the EU will fund 90% of the total cost, making the scheme overwhelmingly a European financing decision rather than a purely national one.

Is the corridor to Serbia finished after this?

Not yet. Transport Minister Oleg Butković said HŽ Infrastruktura is preparing project documentation for the Okučani–Vinkovci section, which is still needed to complete the wider corridor upgrade toward the Serbian border.

The scale of the national programme behind the project is substantial. Croatia currently has around €1.5 billion of railway infrastructure investment under way, Butković said, and HŽ Infrastruktura expects roughly €6 billion to be invested in renewing and modernising the country's rail network by 2035.

For rail freight operators and forwarders routing cargo between Central Europe and the Balkans, the Dugo Selo–Novska deal confirms that the main capacity fix on the Croatian stretch of Corridor X is now funded and contracted — but with first-half 2027 construction starts and a 2032–33 completion window, corridor capacity constraints will shape service planning for years before the second track delivers its full benefit.