Overview
The new railway line in northern Croatian has not been built since 30's of the last
century and none of existing networks has been significantly modernized (except of modernization of the direction from Hungary via Koprivnica to Zagreb). Railway lines Čakovec - Zaprešid and Zabok - Krapina have been only slightly modernized by installing modern signalling and safety devices in some stations around 1980, but there has not been provided a significant investment in infrastructure, but also the organization of quality passenger and freight services on these lines are largely absent.
Aim of the project is to find additional arguments for support the construction of a modern railway line Lepoglava - Krapina. This implies modernization of the connecting lines and the provision of quality domestic and international railway transport services in passenger and freight transport.
Results
The area of the northern Croatian, especially the region around the cities of Varazdin and Čakovec requiring the perfect link to the city of Zagreb and the Adriatic area by public transport. There is a railway mode a logical choice.
In addition, this region is located between the TEN-T corridors and to Budapest - Hodos - Ljubljana - Venice (- Koper), Budapest - Dombovar - Koprivnica - Zagreb - Rijeka and Gyekenyes - Murakeresztúr - Kotoriba - Čakovec - Ormož. The first two parts are based (core) TEN-T network and third is a part of the modern comprehensive TEN-T network.
With all of this should be sure to consider the need of modernization of the railway lines in the norther Croatia which create an integral part of the TEN-T network. This is one of the priority tasks of the Croatian transport and foreign policy.
National and local spatial strategy direction Cakovec - Varazdin - Lepoglava - Krapina referred to as the direction for the construction of railway lines for high speed and high throughput mode, which in turn tells how is this direction already long recognized as strategically important.
On this direction, which is part and Lepoglavska connector, it is possible, therefore, to introduce a series of railway transport services in order to reach the highest utilization. In passenger traffic this remote line can circulate IC and EC trains that would
connect Italy, Rijeka and Zagreb on one hand, and Hungary (Budapest), and the Ukraine on the other hand. In the freight transport here is possible to transit from Italy, the port of Rijeka and Zagreb to Hungary and Ukraine, and vice versa. In the regional and suburban passenger transport this track connects smaller sites (some of which may be intermodal terminals) with local centers of gravity, mainly with
Varaždin, Čakovec, Krapina and of course, Zagreb. In the local freight transport
new lines must enable to gain benefit for the railways in the transport of goods, especially if these goods are transported on routes longer than 100 kilometres.
Precision location Lepoglavska connector has not been established and its determination should be the subject of further detailed research and study. This paper describes the three sections, the first two that connect Lepoglava and Krapina and follow the route which is roughly outlined in the zoning plans, and the third is connecting Lepoglava and Holy Cross Začretje (village 10 kilometers south of Krapina, a closer Zabok and Zagreb).
Rough comparison of all three variants of possible Lepoglava connections seas as the most advantageous the variant 3. However, the final assessment should be carried further adequate research.