Croatia signs €900 million deal for biggest-ever railway project

(Photo: HŽ Infrastruktura)

ZAGREB, 1 October 2026 – Croatia has signed contracts for a €900 million project to reconstruct an existing railway line and build a second track along the 83-kilometre route between Dugo Selo and Novska.

The project is the largest contract in the history of HŽ Infrastructure and represents one of the country’s biggest current investments in railway infrastructure.

The construction contract was signed today at the Croatian Government headquarters in Zagreb in the presence of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković.

HŽ Infrastructure president Damir Lončarić signed the construction agreement with Kshitiz Ravi Bhasker, director of business development at Indian company Afcons Infrastructure Limited, and Udai Veer Singh, Afcons executive vice president and project director in Croatia.

A separate contract for construction supervision was signed by Lončarić and Josip Ćorić, director of Eptisa Adria.

83-kilometre railway upgrade

The Dugo Selo–Novska project is divided into four sections: Dugo Selo–Ivanić Grad, Ivanić Grad–Popovača, Popovača–Kutina and Kutina–Novska.

Construction is scheduled to take five years and 10 months. Afcons Infrastructure Limited will carry out the works, with a number of Croatian companies also expected to be involved.

The project will reconstruct the existing railway and add a second track, upgrading an important section of Croatia’s rail network.

It is being financed through European funding from the Connecting Europe Facility and the Competitiveness and Cohesion Programme.

Part of wider railway investment

Minister Butković said the signing marked an important moment for Croatia’s railway infrastructure, noting that current investments in railways across the country amount to around €1.5 billion.

The investment follows major infrastructure investment cycles in Croatia’s motorway, maritime and aviation networks, with railway modernisation now a major focus.

The Dugo Selo–Novska line forms part of one of the main transport corridors through Croatia.

According to Butković, completion of the wider corridor will also require construction of the Okučani–Vinkovci section. HŽ Infrastructure is currently preparing the project documentation for that section.

The latest contract adds another major project to Croatia’s ongoing efforts to modernise its railway network and improve connections along key European transport routes.