The number of railway passengers is increasing and the downward trend in rail freight has been stopped

Rails carried 29 percent more passengers in the last quarter of the previous year, but significantly larger quantity of freight more freight compared to the same period in 2022.

ZAGREB, March 5, 2024 - In the last quarter of 2023, HŽ Passenger Transport Ltd. carried 29 percent more passengers compared to the same period in 2022, while the number of passenger kilometres decreased by 0.2 percent.

A special train with passenger transport was put into operation for the first time by Rail Cargo Carrier - Croatia Ltd. as a new passenger with a permit to provide passenger rail transport services in the Republic of Croatia.

Indicators of freight railway transport recorded that downward trend in freight transport was stopped in the last quarter of last year. During that period, freight railway transport carried 0.7 percent more freight compared to the same period in 2022, with 8.8 percent fewer tonne-kilometres achieved. At the same time, freight undertakings increased their revenues from freight transport by 0.7 percent.

The historical freight undertaking, HŽ Cargo Ltd., transported almost 10 percent less freight with 17.8 percent fewer tonne-kilometres, while other freight railway undertakings transported 7.7 percent more cargo and performed 1.7 percent more tonne-kilometres. HŽ Cargo Ltd. had a market share of 36.2 percent of total transported goods and 48.4 percent of achieved tonne-kilometres at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023. Out of a total of 19 freight railway undertakings, 13 were commercially active, and six undertakings did not transport freight during the mentioned period.

Market indicators for railway services are available on the website of the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) at the following link.