This year, 70 million Euros reconstruction of railway line Zadar Knin will begin. Should be finished in 4 years, so we can hope in 2028-2029 we will see trains in Zadar again
Well, JŽ 611 trains were a total disaster, they spent more times in repairs and overhauls than actually in service. Later this service was operated by really nice and modern (for the era) HŽ 7021 (JŽ 610) French-built trains. With the closure of Una line (via Bihać) during the 1990 wars (which was only briefly reopened) trip from Zagreb to Zadar became very inefficient as trains go to Knin via Lika line (M604) and then backtrack 100km from Knin to Zadar (basically distance Zagreb-Split and Zagreb-Zadar by train are pretty much the same). Final nail was opening of the A1 highway which made travel to Zadar much much easier (Zagreb-Zadar is 3 hours of easy driving with a coffe-break), some limited service was kept until 2014, substitution buses were operated until Covid but since 2021/22 there is no railway-operated (either as train or substitution bus) service to Zadar. Line is used for occasional cargo to Gaženica Port.
What a sad sight... I lived in Zadar as a very small kid about ten years after the line was opened, and my very first train spotting I can remember was at this station. It was on the occasion of a visit to a travelling show on the open space next to the station (today the bus station), but I was more interested in the big blue diesels even in the evening.
Long time ago you could travel with overnight sleep train from Belgrade to Zadar. Now they do not have trains, they do not have train station or rail but they are independant.
@@harbl2479 If they are richer why they cannot afford decent rail with decent trains and decent train station? Is that EU standard maybe? I am sure that is what people of Zadar and Dalmatia always dreamed about.
@@blok63 Yugoslavia didn't have a good rail network, not even a common voltage for electrified lines. Most of the network in Slovenia and Croatia was built during Austria-Hungary. So I am sure that it's mostly nostalgia that people dream about if anything from that era
@@harbl2479 I do not remember that time so I cannot tell you anything about nostalgia, only about the fact. You could travel from Belgrade directly to Zadar with the overnight sleep train and today you cant. Today you cant even travel from Croatian capital of Zagreb simple as there is no rail. Rail Zadar-Knin was built 1967. and it was connecting Zadar with Zagreb and the rest of Ygoslavia. But what I know, it is EU standard. No rail is better that a rails that was built is 1967.
In 70s pretty much you could go from any town to any town in Yugoslavia by rail ,back then trains were still new and clean
This year, 70 million Euros reconstruction of railway line Zadar Knin will begin. Should be finished in 4 years, so we can hope in 2028-2029 we will see trains in Zadar again
also there is a plan to build a tram line conecting the main port with the railway station
Good to hear!
Well, JŽ 611 trains were a total disaster, they spent more times in repairs and overhauls than actually in service. Later this service was operated by really nice and modern (for the era) HŽ 7021 (JŽ 610) French-built trains. With the closure of Una line (via Bihać) during the 1990 wars (which was only briefly reopened) trip from Zagreb to Zadar became very inefficient as trains go to Knin via Lika line (M604) and then backtrack 100km from Knin to Zadar (basically distance Zagreb-Split and Zagreb-Zadar by train are pretty much the same). Final nail was opening of the A1 highway which made travel to Zadar much much easier (Zagreb-Zadar is 3 hours of easy driving with a coffe-break), some limited service was kept until 2014, substitution buses were operated until Covid but since 2021/22 there is no railway-operated (either as train or substitution bus) service to Zadar. Line is used for occasional cargo to Gaženica Port.
Thanks for the info, really helpful 👍🏼
What a sad sight... I lived in Zadar as a very small kid about ten years after the line was opened, and my very first train spotting I can remember was at this station. It was on the occasion of a visit to a travelling show on the open space next to the station (today the bus station), but I was more interested in the big blue diesels even in the evening.
Good inspiration for a diorama👍🏼
Long time ago you could travel with overnight sleep train from Belgrade to Zadar. Now they do not have trains, they do not have train station or rail but they are independant.
They are also richer and part of the EU
@@harbl2479 If they are richer why they cannot afford decent rail with decent trains and decent train station? Is that EU standard maybe? I am sure that is what people of Zadar and Dalmatia always dreamed about.
@@blok63 Yugoslavia didn't have a good rail network, not even a common voltage for electrified lines. Most of the network in Slovenia and Croatia was built during Austria-Hungary. So I am sure that it's mostly nostalgia that people dream about if anything from that era
@@harbl2479 I do not remember that time so I cannot tell you anything about nostalgia, only about the fact. You could travel from Belgrade directly to Zadar with the overnight sleep train and today you cant. Today you cant even travel from Croatian capital of Zagreb simple as there is no rail. Rail Zadar-Knin was built 1967. and it was connecting Zadar with Zagreb and the rest of Ygoslavia. But what I know, it is EU standard. No rail is better that a rails that was built is 1967.
@@blok63 there are daily overnight trains that go from Zagreb through Ljubljana and up to Stuttgart and Zurich and vice versa.