The Koper-Divača railway project in Slovenia, a significant infrastructure upgrade connecting the country’s only commercial port to the inland hub at Divača, has secured a loan of up to €250 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB), after over four years of delays. The 27-kilometre railway, being managed by state-owned company 2TDK, is set to be completed by the end of 2025. The project, worth €1.109 billion, had its funding programme greenlit by the government recently. The EIB will release the loan upon meeting certain stipulations such as the finalisation of tunnel excavation and the allocation of resources for the expansion of the Koper port. Most of these prerequisites were fulfilled by 2TDK in the latter half of 2021. The EIB has also verified the project’s adherence to environmental protocols and transparency requirements. Once operational, the new railway will enhance Slovenia’s links with Central and Eastern Europe and significantly uplift its economy. It will also nearly double daily train capacity from 94 to 212 and raise the annual freight capacity from 14 million to 36.9 million tonnes. The railway is set to become operational in the first half of 2026.
Source: sloveniatimes.com
