Railway investments are leading efficiency growth at Bosnia’s river port of Brčko, on the border with Croatia. Thanks to these investments, the port expects its revenue to grow from KM2.13 million (€1.09m) to KM3 million (€1.53m), an increase of over 40%.
In September, Luka Brčko said that a new crane, a newly constructed railway track and an expanded cargo-handling area had contributed to higher operating volumes during the first half of 2026. The new crane is currently generating the largest share of the port’s revenue, according to director Perica Josić.
Its impact has been particularly evident in rail-connected traffic. Two weeks ago, the port “handled the transshipment of a thousand tons of coal that arrived by rail, and the entire process was completed in just a few hours,” Josić added.
The project has also produced a marked reduction in the time required to position and handle wagons at the port. According to Josić, an operation that previously took almost two hours can now be completed in approximately 15 minutes following construction of the new railway spur.
A €14.4m project
The improvements form part of a €14.4 million modernisation programme completed in 2026 with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) and the Brčko District authorities.
Rail access was a specific focus of the investment. A 263-metre extension of the port’s internal railway was built to reach the quay and the new crane, allowing wagons to be handled closer to the water. The project also included reconstruction of the railway connection between the port and Brčko Novo station, improving the link with the wider railway network and the adjacent industrial area.
The EBRD had identified inadequate railway access as one of the constraints limiting the port’s capacity. The upgraded layout is intended to reduce wagon shunting and handling movements and to improve the transfer of bulk and other cargo between rail, river and road transport.
The new portal crane has a rated capacity of 16 tonnes, increasing to 27.5 tonnes in certain configurations. The €2.7 million installation is designed to achieve handling rates of 150–200 tonnes/h. The modernisation programme also included a 4,500 square metres asphalt operational area, drainage improvements and reconstruction of the road connecting the port with Bijeljinska Cesta.
Brčko’s potential
Located on the Sava river, Brčko has the potential to serve as a multimodal gateway for freight flows involving Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. The upgraded rail connection is particularly significant because it provides a direct interface between the port’s waterborne facilities and the regional railway network, offering an alternative to road transport for cargo moving to and from the terminal.
The railway improvements, however, are confined to the port and its immediate connection. They do not include electrification or comprehensive modernisation of the wider railway network in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is still lagging behind. At the project’s completion ceremony in July, EBRD representatives identified railway electrification among the country’s remaining infrastructure priorities.
Further improvements are also planned for the Sava waterway. The EU has allocated an €8m grant for demining around 40km of the river’s right bank, supplemented by a €30m World Bank loan. The programme is intended to support further investment in inland-waterway infrastructure and improve freight connectivity between Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia.
The combination of the new quay-side rail track, faster wagon handling and upgraded cargo-handling equipment gives Brčko the infrastructure for more efficient three-mode operations. The extent to which this translates into sustained growth in rail freight will depend on the capacity and quality of the connecting railway network, as well as navigability and traffic conditions on the Sava.
