The Una railway could be put into operation again, and its restoration would be technically, ecologically and economically justified. This is the conclusion of the presented conceptual study and accompanying analyzes on the revitalization of the Una railway, one of the largest railway infrastructure projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to the results of the study, the renovation of the railroad could bring almost 350 million euros in economic benefits over the next 30 years. The analysis shows that not all social and development effects that this project could have are included in the assessment.
Željko Radić, Deputy General Director for Operations of the BH Railway Public Corporation, pointed out that the revitalization of the Una railway would bring multiple benefits.
“This project has the potential to achieve an economic benefit of around 350 million euros in a period of 30 years. The analysis does not include all social benefits, such as the importance of the reserve transport corridor, economic development, strengthening of economic activity with renewed infrastructure and increased freight traffic for the railways of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia,” said Radić.
One of the key conditions for the realization of the project is the signing of an interstate agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, given that the route of the Una railway crosses the state border seven times.
The Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Edin Forto, reminded that the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina had allocated 200,000 KM for the preparation of a preliminary study, and announced the continuation of preparatory activities.
“I expect that in the coming period we will invest even more funds in the preparation of the revitalization of this corridor. It is important that we include the Una railway in the network of European transport corridors, because this would open up the possibility of using grants from the European Union. However, the essential prerequisite for the reconstruction remains the agreement with the Republic of Croatia,” said Forto.
With the revitalization of the Una railway, Bosnia and Herzegovina would get a better railway connection with the region, as well as the possibility of access to three Adriatic ports.
Residents of the area through which the railway passes remember the time when railway traffic was the driving force behind the development of the entire region. The head of the Kulen-Vakuf Railway Station, Edin Demirović, says that the Una Railway was once among the busiest railway routes in this part of Europe.
“Numerous international trains from Germany and other European countries passed through Kulen-Vakuf. It was an extremely frequent railway line that served transit to Croatia, Serbia and the Adriatic,” recalled Demirović.
The Una Railway was built in the 1970s and for decades represented one of the most important railway connections between the interior of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Adriatic coast. Traffic was interrupted during the war, and despite numerous initiatives, it has not been restored to this day.
The presented analyses now show that the revitalization of this railway corridor could be economically viable and significantly contribute to the development of transport, economy and regional connectivity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, BHRT writes.
