Growth in Passenger Numbers and Rail Freight Volumes in the First Quarter of 2026

First-quarter data indicate continued growth in both traffic and revenue. Passenger numbers increased by three per cent, the volume of freight transported rose by almost four per cent, and the revenues of freight operators grew by ten per cent.

ZAGREB, 27 May 2026 - In the first quarter of 2026, the rail services market in the Republic of Croatia recorded growth in both passenger numbers and freight volumes compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.

Passenger Transport

 HŽ Passenger Transport carried 6,263,362 passengers, representing an increase of 3.1 per cent compared with the first quarter of the previous year. At the same time, passenger-kilometres recorded were 2.0 per cent higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Freight Transport

 A total of 3,313,777 tonnes of goods were transported by rail freight services, representing an increase of 3.7 per cent compared with the first quarter of last year. In total, 768,495,055 tonne-kilometres were recorded, an increase of 0.1 per cent. At the same time, revenues from freight transport services increased by 9.9 per cent.

During the period under review, HŽ Cargo transported 4.8 per cent less freight and recorded 6.1 per cent fewer tonne-kilometres compared with the first quarter of 2025. Other rail freight undertakings increased the volume of goods transported by 9.3 per cent, while tonne-kilometres rose by 5.4 per cent. At the end of the first quarter of 2026, HŽ Cargo accounted for 36.3 per cent of the total volume of goods transported and 42.8 per cent of total tonne-kilometres recorded.

Of the total of 21 registered rail freight undertakings, 16 were operationally active, while five undertakings did not provide freight transport services during the first quarter.

Detailed indicators relating to the rail services market are available on the website of the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) at the following link.