HR LESKOVAC - KARLOVAC RAILWAY (SPL 20140375)

The project will finance the upgrade of the existing track of the railway section from Hrvatski Leskovac to Karlovac, part of the M202 railway line, as well as the construction of the second track for a design speed of up to 160 km/h. The M202 railway line is a 229 kilometers long railway line connecting Zagreb with Rijeka. It is part of the TEN-T Mediterranean Corridor, branch Rijeka – Zagreb – Budapest. The line is also part of the Rail Freight Corridor 6. JASPERS have been involved in the project's preparation and the subsequent Independent Quality Review.

The main objective is to modernise the existing track and build a second parallel track on the ca. 44 km railway section from Hrvatski Leskovac to Karlovac. This section is part of the TEN-T network (Mediterranean Corridor, Rijeka-Zargeb-Budapest branch), of Rail Freight Corridor 6 and of the M202 railway line from the capital Zagreb to Croatia's main port Rijeka.

The pertinence to Annexes I and II of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, the screening decisions, the EIA and the development consents will be reviewed during the appraisal. The project's potential impact on protected areas and species, in accordance with the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) will also be appraised. A modal shift thanks to increased rail-based mobility can be expected (due to increased speed and increased capacity for freight and passenger services), thus also decreasing traffic-related greenhouse gas emissions. Details will be checked during the appraisal.

The EIB will require the promoter to ensure that the contract for the implementation of the project has been or and will be tendered in accordance with the relevant applicable EU procurement legislation, Directive 2014/24/EU, 2014/25/EU and 92/13/EEC as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, with the publication of tender notices in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), as and where required.