Growth in Passenger Numbers and Rail Freight Volumes in the Second Quarter of 2026
ZAGREB, 8 September 2026 - In the second quarter of 2026, the railway services market in the Republic of Croatia recorded an increase in both the number of passengers carried and the volume of freight transported compared with the same period of the previous year.
Passenger Transport
HŽ Passenger Transport carried 6,857,618 passengers, representing an increase of 3.2% compared with the second quarter of the previous year. At the same time, the number of passenger-kilometres increased by 2.7% compared with the same period of the previous year.
Freight Transport
A total of 3,376,657 tonnes of freight were transported by rail, representing an increase of 9.2% compared with the second quarter of the previous year. A total of 806,583,789 tonne-kilometres were recorded, an increase of 9.7%. At the same time, rail freight operators’ revenues from freight transport increased by 14.6%.
During the period under review, HŽ Cargo transported 2.9% less freight and recorded 3.5% fewer tonne-kilometres compared with the second quarter of 2025. Other rail freight operators increased the volume of freight transported by 17.3%, while tonne-kilometres rose by 21.1%.
At the end of the second quarter of 2026, HŽ Cargo accounted for 35.7% of the total volume of freight transported and 40.8% of the total tonne-kilometres recorded.
Of the 20 registered rail freight operators in the Republic of Croatia, 15 were operationally active, while five operators did not carry out freight transport during the second quarter.
Detailed indicators relating to the railway services market are available on HAKOM’s website via the following link.
For additional information please contact:
Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM)
- Roberta Frangeša-Mihanovića 9 Street
- 10110 Zagreb, Croatia
- Tel. + 385 (0) 1 700 70 07
- Fax + 385 (0)1 700 70 70
Media inquiries can be submitted online using HAKOM’s official website: www.hakom.hr
About Hakom
HAKOM - Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries – ensures preconditions for a fair market competition, stable growth and environment for innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market. HAKOM protects users’ interests and the possibility of choice among various communications and postal services at affordable prices, defines sustainable competitive conditions for operators and service providers under fair conditions for return on investment, and provides support to economic growth, public services and the quality of life in the Republic of Croatia by using modern technologies. HAKOM’ strategic goals are: to promote regulation of the electronic communications and postal services market, to support growth of investments and innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market, to provide efficient use of limited resources, to accelerate the growth of broadband products and services, to provide affordable offers of communications and postal services, to provide protection and informing of users, to build an efficient and comprehensive information system, to define and implement efficient processes, and to acquire multi-disciplinary expertise in market regulation.