New high-tech rail vehicle to boost Croatia’s railway infrastructure

(Photo: HŽ Infrastruktura)

Croatia’s state-owned railway infrastructure manager, HŽ Infrastruktura, has signed a €7.3 million contract with Austrian firm Plasser & Theurer for the procurement of a new heavy-duty rail maintenance vehicle.

The agreement, signed on Wednesday, forms part of the wider project “Procurement of New Modern Strategic and Small Rail Mechanisation”, financed through a loan from the European Investment Bank and secured by the Croatian Government. Delivery of the vehicle is expected within four years.

Multifunctional technology for modern railways

The new vehicle, a Plasser CatenaryCrafter 12.5, is a multifunctional heavy motor trolley designed for maintenance and inspection of overhead contact lines, as well as work on the upper track structure.

It will enable the transport of workers and materials, execution of intervention works, and provide logistical support across the rail network, including on more demanding sections.

HŽ Infrastruktura CEO Damir Lončarić highlighted the importance of the investment, noting that the vehicle’s modular design allows for additional equipment to be installed as needed.

Plasser CatenaryCrafter 12.5 (Photo: HŽ Infrastruktura)

This flexibility is expected to optimise work processes, increase operational efficiency and reduce the need for multiple specialised vehicles.

He added that the ongoing modernisation and expansion of railway infrastructure, including international corridors, requires the use of advanced machinery to ensure long-term safety, reliability and sustainability.

Plasser & Theurer confirmed that machines from the CatenaryCrafter series meet the highest requirements for specialised overhead line work, inspections and emergency interventions. They are also fully compliant with European interoperability standards (TSI).

(Photo: HŽ Infrastruktura)

Company representative Markus Schnetz described the project as strategically important and expressed confidence in a successful long-term partnership with HŽ Infrastruktura.