Panel discussion held on the eve of the first decade since freight railway undertakings entered the market

Liberalization of the rail market opens up new markets and strengthens the national economy

ZAGREB, 5 July 2022 – Within the co-organization of the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) a panel discussion was held in Zagreb on the “Liberalization of the railway transport market in the Republic of Croatia – shortly on the eve of the first decade since freight railway undertakings entered the market”. According to the Railway Act, which entered into force on 23 July 2013, the freight rail transport was fully liberalized for the right of access to rail infrastructure for the operation of all types of rail freight services and free access to infrastructure linking seaports and inland waterway ports and other infrastructure service facilities. In addition to the historical undertakings, 14 new freight railway companies have been registered in the Republic of Croatia so far.

A panel discussion was held in HGK premises and Dario Soldo, director of HGK sector and Miran Gosta, director at HAKOM welcomed the participants. Preliminary presentations, which preceded the panel discussion, were held by Jasna Divić, Deputy Director of the Directorate for Railway Infrastructure and Transport at Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, and Kristijan Solina, Railway Services Department Manager at HAKOM. In their presentations, they reviewed the development of the rail market, the work indicators of the undertakings, the challenges of market development and the initiatives they are undertaking to strengthen the railway market.

Darko Barišić, Member of the Board of HŽ Infrastructure Ltd., Dragan Marčinko, director of HŽ Cargo Ltd., Petar Glavaš, and Director at Enna transport d.o.o. and Nikola Popović, Member of the Council at HAKOM participated in the panel discussion. The panel discussion was moderated by Ante Klečina, President of the Pro Rail Alliance. It was concluded that liberalization of the rail services market opens up new markets strengthening the national economy as part of the single EU railway market, while the geographical position of the Republic of Croatia brings certain comparative advantages in the development of the entire traffic in which rail transport has a significant place. Liberalization strongly influences changes in the way stakeholders operate in the market making space for the implementation of improvements as a basis for fair competition.