After delays caused a shifted deadline for the completion of the whole project, railway works are finally underway along Section 1 of the future Divača–Koper line. The track superstructure, which includes tracks, overhead line and signalling, is being implemented along Lokev Tunnel, the longest one of the new infrastructure.
“While the final construction works are being carried out in the tunnels on Section 1, the laying of the track on a rigid base will begin at the same time and the installation of the remaining necessary equipment will begin”, said 2TDK, the company which will manage the infrastructure.
Section 1 includes the route between Divača to Črni Kal. The biggest projects on this stretch are the Lokev and Beka tunnels, which are connected via the Glinščica Viaduct. The delays mentioned above were caused by works on this viaduct, which led to higher costs and a postponed deadline. Now, the companies involved will carry out construction and railway works simultaneously to try and make up for the time and resources lost.
The Divača–Koper line
Currently, Koper and Divača are connected by an almost 60 years old single-track line, which is the only rail line connecting to Slovenia’s largest port. The new Divača–Koper line is thus expected to become an important corridor both for Slovenia and the TEN-T network. Through eight tunnels and three viaducts, rail connectivity to and from the port of Koper shall massively improve once the line is ready. The opening of the new railway is planned for Spring 2026, two years after initially scheduled.
The initial plan was to build only one new track. However, a decision was made in February 2023 to create an additional line on the left side of the one currently under construction. Building this line should be a little easier, as many of the service tunnels used during this construction will become part of the newer line. Work should start next year and a full opening is planned for 2030.
In other words, after 2030, the port of Koper will go from having two brand new lines connecting it to Divača. On the other hand, traffic between Koper and Prešnica along the old line will be discontinued by then. Rail freight to and from the port of Koper has been suffering by the lack of resilient infrastructure and lack of capacity. For example, Metrans had to cancel 29 trains in April and various disruption significantly affected the situation in the Summer of 2024.
