ZAGREB, Jan 26 (Hina) - The Zagreb-Bihac-Knin railway, known as the Una Railway, was re-opened for transport on Friday after nine and a half years in disuse, with a promotional ride organised by Croatian Railways (HZ) and Bosnia's
Public Railway Corporation. Aboard a train which left Zagreb's Central Station at eight a.m. were the two railways' leaders, representatives of the two governments, and members of the press. The arrival in Knin in southern Croatia was scheduled for 15.15 hours. Speaking to the press before departure, HZ director general Marijan Drempetic said he was satisfied the 392km Una Railway, of which 257 cross Croatian territory, was re-opened for transport after being closed for so a long period. The director general of Bosnia's Public Railway Corporation, Faruk Curic, said the re-opening was a big day for businessmen of Bosnia's Una-Sava Canton, part of the Bosnian Serb republ
ZAGREB, Jan 26 (Hina) - The Zagreb-Bihac-Knin railway, known as the
Una Railway, was re-opened for transport on Friday after nine and a
half years in disuse, with a promotional ride organised by Croatian
Railways (HZ) and Bosnia's Public Railway Corporation.
Aboard a train which left Zagreb's Central Station at eight a.m.
were the two railways' leaders, representatives of the two
governments, and members of the press. The arrival in Knin in
southern Croatia was scheduled for 15.15 hours.
Speaking to the press before departure, HZ director general Marijan
Drempetic said he was satisfied the 392km Una Railway, of which 257
cross Croatian territory, was re-opened for transport after being
closed for so a long period.
The director general of Bosnia's Public Railway Corporation, Faruk
Curic, said the re-opening was a big day for businessmen of Bosnia's
Una-Sava Canton, part of the Bosnian Serb republic, Croatia's
Split-Dalmatia County, and ports along Croatia's central Adriatic
coast.
Before the early 1990s war, 70 trains rode daily along Una Railway,
with an annual transport of four million tonnes of goods and 1.5
million passengers, reminded Curic.
Representing the Croatian government on the promotional ride were
Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic and Transport Minister Alojz
Tusek. Civil Affairs and Communications Minister Tihomir Gligoric
represented the Bosnian side.
Because of the war, transport along Una Railway was discontinued on
8 August 1991. Between 1991 and 1995, the railway was not under
official supervision and was untended. It suffered the biggest
damage on its part through Bosnia. The European Union financed the
reconstruction of three bridges. Since 1998, HZ worked on the
railway with assistance from NATO's Stabilisation Force.
At first, the railway will be used for the transport of raw material
for the manufacturing of artificial fertilisers, and finished
products and goods for the requirements of Bosnia's and Croatia's
economies.
(hina) ha