Commissioner for Regional Policy visits Zagreb's Main Railway Station

The European Union's Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn on Thursday visited the central railway station in the Croatian capital to check the ongoing implementation of the HRK 94.5 million project called "Zagreb Main Railway Station Signalling and Interlocking Works", 85% of which is covered by the EU non-repayable funds from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).

The European Commissioner was accompanied by the Croatian Minister for Regional Development and EU Funds, Branko Grcic and the Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Sinisa Hajdas Doncic.

After touring the Zagreb central railway station, Commissioner Hahn said that his talks with the Croatian ministers would focus on the efficient absorption of EU structural funds upon Croatia's admission to the EU, set for mid-2013.

The projects like this one show us how much the railway infrastructure is important and that its development is a priority of the government. Croatia is a bridge between the north and the south. It has good roads but it needs good railways, too, the commissioner said.

Minister Grcic said that the reconstruction of the signalling and interlocking system at the Main Station was ushering in a series of projects aimed at revamping the railway infrastructure and corridors.

This will be to the benefit of 50,000 commuters that use the railway in the Croatian capital every day.


(Hina)