The State Secretary at the Ministry of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure, Žarko Tušek, officially launched the new battery-powered train in Split, which will begin operating on the Split–Kaštel Stari–Split route on December 15, 2025.
The event to introduce the battery train into regular service in the Split area was also attended by the Prefect of Split-Dalmatia County, Blaženko Boban, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the passenger rail operator HŽ Putnički prijevoz (HŽPP), Željko Ukić, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Končar-Electric Vehicle, Josip Ninić.
“In Split, we are introducing the first battery-powered train into regular service, which was developed by Končar with the support of the relevant ministry and the Croatian government. This is an exclusively battery-powered train – the first of its kind in Croatia,” emphasized State Secretary Tušek, adding that 70 new trains have been purchased to date, and, together with 19 trains already contracted and financed by the Modernization Fund and the Social Fund for Climate Policy, the purchase of nearly 40 additional trains is being prepared, some of which will also be battery-powered trains and battery-powered electric trains.
The operation of the new battery train in Split is due to the implementation of the EUR 17.1 million project “Application of green technologies in passenger rail transport,” financed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021–2026 (PNRR). This project also included the construction of a hybrid electric battery train and six charging stations located in the stations of Bjelovar, Virovitica, Osijek, Varaždin, and Split Predgrađe.
The train has been in operation since September this year and has been running occasionally on the Virovitica–Bjelovar–Virovitica route, being used to test the charging stations. The construction of the charging station at Split Predgrađe station has made it possible to introduce the battery-powered train into regular service in suburban transport in the Split area.
Thanks to major projects in the Split area, it is estimated that 480,000 passengers will travel by train this year, an increase of 6% over last year.
“Given the new routes we are introducing in suburban transport in the wider Split area, we believe that the upward trend in passenger numbers will continue. The production of 19 new trains has been contracted, including six diesel-electric trains that will connect Split to Zagreb starting next year, as well as new battery-powered trains, some of which will also operate in this area,” explained the representative of the operator HŽPP.
The new battery-powered train has a capacity of 113 seats and is equipped with ramps for wheelchair access, space for bicycles, an audio-visual system for passenger information and video surveillance, and passengers have free internet access. With the new battery-powered train entering regular service in Split, HŽPP is also launching 14 new suburban lines on the Split – Kaštel Stari – Split route, so that from December 15, residents can use 32 suburban trains.
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