Rail traffic in Croatia began on 24 April 1860 when a railroad from Nagykaniza, Hungary to Kotoriba and Cakovec, Croatia and Pragersko, Slovenia was inaugurated.
Speaking to the press at Zagreb's Central Station before a special train left for Cakovec, 100 km to the north, Deputy Transport Minister Zdenko Antesic said the rail system had been extremely neglected over the past 25 years because of investments into roads.
In 2012, railways became a strategic project of the incumbent government, with intensive work undertaken to revamp the infrastructure so that rail traffic could get the place it deserves, he said.
Over the past three years, about HRK 3 billion has been invested in the renovation of the rail system and another HRK 40 billion is to be invested by 2020, Antesic said.
The Hrvatske Zeljecnice rail operator has bought 44 new trains.
(EUR 1 = HRK 7.6)