CROATIA: On February 5 national passenger operator HŽPP reintroduced services on the 95·9 km Banova Jaruga – Daruvar – Pčelić line, which links the Zagreb – Vinkovci and Koprivnica – Osijek routes.
The poor state of the infrastructure had led to passenger trains being replaced by buses from April 24 2014. The bus services carried 60 000 passenger last year, leading the regional authority to work with HŽPP to reinstate rail services. Rehabilitation of the infrastructure was undertaken by HŽ Infra at a cost of 70m kuna.
A reopening ceremony was held on February 4, when the regional authority and HŽPP signed a new subsidy agreement which includes free travel for students and schoolchildren.
