Contract for modernisation of Dugo Selo-Krizevci railway line signed

The project for the construction and reconstruction of the Dugo Selo-Krizevci railway line, which is co-financed by the European Union, is proof that Croatia can successfully carry out large and demanding projects, a contract signing ceremony said on Friday.

The modernisation of the 38-kilometre-long railway line costs 1.25 billion kuna and 85% of it will be co-financed by the EU. The contract on the performance of work was signed by the HZ Infrastruktura company and a domestic consortium of bidders comprising DIV, Dalekovod and Zagreb-Montaza. Inspection will be carried out by a consortium of SGS Adriatica and Investinzenjering.

Work is due to start early in May and is to finish in February 2020.

First Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Karamarko said he was pleased with the project, but complained about inadequate legislative provisions hampering European projects.

"Croatia is paying contributions into European funds, but is getting practically nothing out of them," Karamarko said. "We are making it hard for ourselves and the question is how many good projects have fallen through because of inadequate laws, such as the Public Procurement Act," he added.

"In a situation when every job counts and when people are leaving Croatia and companies are going bankrupt, investments like this are praiseworthy," Karamarko said, expressing satisfaction that the contract was awarded to a domestic consortium.

He said that with the construction of the Rijeka-Zagreb and Zagreb-Budapest lines Croatia could soon become a gate to Europe, stressing the importance of the port of Rijeka. He said that negotiations were under way with potential investors.

The Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Tomislav Tolusic, said that Croatia had 900 million euros at its disposal in EU funds and that only with good cooperation among the ministries could these funds be drawn and that past mistakes should not be repeated. "It is necessary to ensure better preparation of project documentation, improve cooperation among the ministries and correct the mistakes in public procurement," he said.

The Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, stressed the importance of the project, which had taken seven a half years to bring to completion. He expressed hope for the faster realisation of planned projects in the railway sector. "This year there will be more major railway infrastructure projects, such as those along the sections Zabok-Sveti Ivan Zabno and Vinkovci-Vukovar, as well as a tender for the Peljesac bridge."

(Text and photo: Hina)

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