The first working train entered the Škofije Tunnel, which is one of the seven tunnels along the Divača – Koper second track line, in Slovenia. The train departed from the Koper freight rail station on a newly built track carrying 120-metre rails.
Škofije Tunnel is the third-longest twin-tube tunnel of the line, measuring 3.8 km and the main and service tunnels are connected by seven cross-passages. Excavation technology in the flysch foundation was performed mechanically with tunnel excavators, hydraulic hammers, and drilling and blasting. In the area of low overburden in the Škofijica Stream valley, preliminary measures were necessary to remove poor soil above the tunnel and replace it with cement stabilisation, followed by the construction of a reinforced concrete arch cover.
By now, 1.35 km of tracks have been laid representing 35% of the total length and is used rigid track which requires less maintenance compared to conventional shaft track, and has a longer life expectancy and provides a more comfortable ride. In addition, the use of a rigid track system eliminates the possibility of track geometry errors during maintenance work. The expected service life of a track built on a rigid base is 50 to 60 years.
After tracks laying will be completed, the construction of the overhead contact line will begin which will include the installation of the supporting structure, installation of electrical cables and wires, insulation and protection, and tension systems.
The construction of the second track of the railway connection between Divača and Koper is in the final phase, as rail equipment is being installed, and tunnels were excavated, and viaducts have been completed.
In 2024, the 2TDK, the company responsible for the implementation of the project, made great progress in the construction of the tunnels. 75% of the 27.1 km line runs through seven tunnels (20.5 km) and three viaducts.
A particularly important milestone was the breakthrough of the longest tunnel in Slovenia. The 6.7 km Lokev Tunnel (T1) is the first and longest tunnel on the Divača–Koper railway line, located between the village of Lokev and the Glinščica Valley.
The 215 metre-long Glinščica viaduct was completed in 2022, and was a precondition for the start of the construction of the Lokev (T1) and Beka (T2) tunnels. The Glinščica viaduct will connect the 6.7-km Lokev Tunnel 1 and the 6-km Beka Tunnel 2 into a single tunnel of almost 13 km long.
The main construction work on the other two viaducts (Gabrovica- 416 km, running under the Črni Kal motorway viaduct and the 620 meter-long Vinjan viaduct) was completed at the end of 2023, while in 2024 only the finishing work was carried out.
In the summer months of 2024, work on the last rail section, including the rail systems, began, while the first meters of track in the Škofije tunnel were laid in December 2024.
In September 2021, the contractors of the main construction works began excavating the tunnels, and in three years more kilometers of tunnels were dug than were dug in 30 years on the entire Slovenian rail network.
Financial issues
According to the 2TDK company, the Divača – Koper second track project remains within the financial framework. After difficult negotiations, the 2TDK company has aligned the contract values with the legal obligation to pay price increases, and the deadline for completing the work is also changing, which is now 31 March 2026. In connection with the above, the company has concluded annexes to the contracts for Section 1 and Section 2 with the consortium of Kolektor CPG, Yapi Merkezi and Özaltin.
An annex was concluded on Section 1, extending the contract deadline due to the later start of work in the Glinščica Valley and due to bridging major karst phenomena, and due to the simultaneous work of Section 3, which will begin work on the agreed dates before the main construction works on Section 1 are fully completed.
An annex is also concluded on Section 2, which changes the estimated contract value of the works. The contract value changes due to price increases, which is a legal obligation of the contracting authority. If there were no legally required price increases due to inflationary effects, the section between Črni Kal and Koper would be realised below the estimated contract value.
The contract for the main construction works contains a provision on fixed prices, and any price changes (in this case price increases) due to price increases of elements are dictated by the legal regulations of Slovenia. Under the Code of Obligations, the contractor may request a price difference of more than 10%. Finally, the contractor’s right to request payment of increased costs, labor, goods and other assets invested in construction works is also provided for by FIDIC, whose rules are included in concluded contracts for the performance of construction works, as is common practice throughout Europe. The company 2TDK has no influence on the amount of these price increases, since the determination of the index is based on price increases of prices, materials and services calculated by the competent institution. The new contract value for the Črni Kal – Koper section (section 2) amounts to EUR 251 million, excluding VAT.
On March 12, 2025, 2TDK announced it has received a claim for information from the consortium of construction contractors addressed to the supervising engineer DRI. The claim, entitled ‘Stoppage of work on Section 1 due to delays in the implementation of the Glinščica Viaduct’ stipulates that the construction contractor requests additional payment for reimbursement of all costs incurred in connection with the stoppage of work. The claim relates to the period of implementation of works in the Glinščica Valley in 2021, with the value of the claim is EUR 350 million.
2TDK considers the amount of the claim to be unreasonable and emphasises that it has not and will never pay unjustified or unfounded costs.
Divača – Koper second track project is split into two sections: Divača – Črni Kal with tunnels T1 and T2 and one viaduct, and Črni Kal – Koper with the remaining six tunnels and two viaducts.
The CPG consortium comprising Kolektor CPG (Slovenia), Yapi Merkezi and Ozaltin (from Türkiye) was awarded a EUR 403.6 million contract for the construction of the Divača – Črni Kal section. The same consortium won the EUR 224.7 million contract for the construction of the Črni Kal – Koper section.
In September 2023, 2TDK awarded a EUR 203.8 million contract for the supply and installation of rail systems along the route, which was the third and final main contract of the project.
The total value of the project is worth EUR 1.2 billion, of which EUR 153 million is covered by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and EUR 250 million from the European Investment Bank.
Construction work was launched in 2021 and initially the project was expected to be completed by the end of 2025, but this deadline has been postponed to March 2026.
The construction of the second track is essential as the existing line is 100% full since 2018 and freight from the Port of Koper is increasingly moving to the roads. In 2021, 58% of Port Koper transhipments were transported by rail, while in 2022 only 54% transported by rail, due to insufficient capacity. The Port of Koper is the main source of freight traffic on the Divača – Koper railway line.
When the line enters operation, the capacity will increase to 102 trains per day, from currently 90 freight trains, and the transport capacity will increase to 17.7 million per year, from currently 14 million tonnes. In addition, the capacity of the double-track line will increase to 120 trains daily with a freight volume of 25.7 million net tons per year. The capacity of both tracks will increase from the current 90 trains per day to 212 trains per day, or 36.9 million tons per year.
The completion of the project will allow passenger trains to run at a speed of 160 km/h, while freight trains, at 120 km/h.
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