A six - kilometre - long section of the railway line from Djurmanec in northwestern Croatia to the Slovenian border town of Rogatec was formally opened to traffic on Sunday, marking the restoration of rail transport along that route after more than 20 years.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Croatian Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Sinisa Hajdas Doncic, and the Slovenian Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Zdravko Pocivalsek.
Pocivalsek said that this was important for both countries because investment in infrastructure meant further development of their respective economies. He noted that nearly a fifth of Slovenians lived in areas along the border with Croatia, but that their share in the national GDP was only 8 per cent, adding that such infrastructure investments would boost local economies and help create jobs.
Pocivalsek expressed hope that the railway line running from Savski Marof in Croatia to Slovenia would also be reopened soon.
Hajdas Doncic said that people on both sides of the border were not used to the borders that were established in the early 1990s and that this railway connection was a step towards removing such barriers. He highlighted the economic aspect of the railway line and expressed hope that local companies would benefit from it.
The work cost about 42 million kuna (5.5 million euros) and involved the reconstruction of four bridges, 12 level crossings, a station platform and a tunnel.
(Hina)