Before the war, the Sarajevo-Zagreb railway line was one of the key international passenger connections in the former Yugoslavia. More than three decades after the suspension of traffic, the possibility of its establishment is being discussed again.
The Sarajevo-Zagreb line connected the capital of BiH with Zagreb, and through it with wider European railway networks. Via Zagreb, travelers could continue to Ljubljana, Vienna, Munich or Budapest.
During the war in the nineties, international passenger traffic on this route was completely interrupted. Although much of the infrastructure was later rebuilt for freight traffic, the regular passenger line between Sarajevo and Zagreb was never fully restored. Its introduction is now being reconsidered.
Joint Operating Authority
Adnan Kubat, acting executive director for railway operator Railways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, says that certain steps have already been taken at the institutional level, writes Liberation.
“Certainly, the focus has been on the Sarajevo-Zagreb line from before. So, there is a joint operating body at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and railway companies. That joint operating body has completed a study on the re-establishment of the line, where all interested parties expressed their willingness to participate in such a line, including the Republika Srpska Railways,” said Kubat.
There is also a certain agreement with Croatian Railways on the way that line would function, he added.
The interest of Railways of the RS
The most enthusiastic response to the inquiry about the re-establishment of the Sarajevo-Zagreb line came from Željeznica Republika Srpska:
“Railways of the Republika Srpska support and are absolutely committed to the entity, regional and international connection in rail passenger transport, as soon as all the technical-technological and economic-commercial prerequisites for its final realization are met,” said Aleksandra Simić, RS Railways public relations officer.
She confirmed that an operational body dealing with this issue has already been formed at the state level.
“It is true that by the Decision of the Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024, a joint operational body was formed at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Railways of the Republic of Srpska and the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the RS actively participated in the development of the aforementioned study on the possibilities of realizing and establishing international rail traffic between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia,” she stated.
However, they warn that the implementation of such a project would require significant investments in infrastructure and rolling stock, as passengers expect faster and more modern trains.
Interest from the Croatian side as well
On the Croatian side, there is also interest in the renewal of the line. Croatian Railways told Oslobođenje that talks are already underway, revealing even when we can expect the line to be established:
“Representatives of the line ministries of both countries, as well as railway carriers, are discussing the re-establishment of traffic in the 2026/2027 timetable,” they stated.
They add that there is concrete readiness for the return of this relationship.
“HŽ Putnički prijevost is interested in reintroducing trains on the route Zagreb-Sarajevo-Zagreb”, they pointed out.
Although a number of technical and organizational issues need to be resolved for the final implementation, the fact that all three parties – railway companies from BiH and Croatia – are involved in the talks shows that one of the most important pre-war railway lines in the region could revive in the coming years.
Since passenger lines require significant subsidies, it remains to be seen whether there will be the will at the state level for such an undertaking.
