After more than 30 years of unfulfilled promises, the revitalization of the Una railway is again in the spotlight. The first comprehensive expert study after the war was presented, and the Una-Sana Canton says that it could be a turning point for one of the most important infrastructure projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Renovating the railway would enable faster and more efficient rail transport of passengers and goods, easier entry of domestic companies to European markets and greater competitiveness of the economy, while the tourist potential of the Una National Park and the entire Krajina would receive a new development opportunity.
However, the realization of the project also depends on the cooperation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, because the railway on its route crosses the state border several times.
Croatia plans to invest around six billion euros in the railway infrastructure in the next ten years, and the Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković expressed his readiness for Croatia to support the reconstruction of the Una railway.
It is a 179 kilometer long railway, of which 120 kilometers are located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 59 kilometers in Croatia. Precisely because of its international character, the realization will require the coordination of two countries and the joint application of the project to European Union funds.
The first attempts at reconstruction were launched in 2001, when Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia signed an agreement on the use and maintenance of the Bihać – Knin railway, but after the promotional run there were no significant developments.
The Prime Minister of USK believes that the new study represents an opportunity that the state should not miss. As proof that the interest in railway traffic exists, the Government of the Una-Sana Canton allocated 150,000 KM for the re-establishment of a seasonal passenger railway line in cooperation with JP Railways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the project attracted a large number of passengers and tourists, reports Press Media BiH.
