CROATIA, YUGOSLAVIA TO SIGN RAIL TRANSPORT AGREEMENT 14 OCT

ZAGREB, Sept 30 (Hina) - An agreement on local border railroad traffic between Croatia and Yugoslavia is expected to be signed on 14 October, Croatian Railways told reporters in Zagreb on Tuesday, to be followed by the opening of the Zagreb-Tovarnik-Sid line. According to the general director of Croatian Railways, Marijan Klaric, 12 million tons of cargo and up to seven million passengers travelled the Zagreb-Tovarnik-Sid line per year before the Homeland War. Since Croatian Railways does not expect many passengers on that route initially, Klaric said only two couples of local passenger trains would travel between Tovarnik (eastern Croatia) and Sid (Vojvodina region in western Yugoslavia) until time-table changes in May. "At the beginning, we are interested in the transport of cargo, which should increase at least 30 percent within a year", Klaric said. One thousand-five hundred employees will be laid off this year as part of a programme on the restructuring of Croatian Railways, Klaric said, adding USD 75 million per year should be invested in the company in the next five years. In the said period, passenger transport should reach a five percent rise, cargo transport a 7.5 percent rise, while productivity per person should rise 20 percent. (hina) ha mm 301521 MET sep 97