CROATIAN UPPER HOUSE DISCUSSES SITUATION IN CROATIAN RAILWAYS

ZAGREB, June 17 (Hina) - The Croatian Parliament House of counties on Tuesday discussed the Report on the Situation, Rehabilitation, Restructuring and Development of Croatian Railways (HZ). The situation in the Croatian Railways was not good and there was probably no company in worse state in Croatia, Assistant Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communication Minister, Dragutin Subat, who presented the Report, said. Only war damage had been estimated at $ 350 million, he said. Due to the lack of money for a normal maintenance of HZ's equipment, the speed of travelling on the rails had been reduced, there was a large number of defective vehicles and traffic had been reduced to a third of what it had been before the war, Subat said. The issue needed to be considered before certain railway routes were disconnected, MPs said. Recalling the importance some railway lines had for the local residents, MPs expressed wish for a modernisation of the railways, less for the closure of some railway lines. MPs also adopted a bill on airports and amendments to the Law on Apartment Leasing, both in their first reading. (hina) lm jn 171557 MET jun 97