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MPs nod to expansion of new rail link to Koper with extra track

Ljubljana, 23 October (STA) - The National Assembly backed with no votes against on Wednesday changes to the legislation on the emerging new railway link between the port of Koper and the inland hub Divača, allowing the project to go from single to double track. Construction is to start in 2026 and will increase the investment value by EUR 400 million to some EUR 1.5 billion.


The changes give 2TDK, the state's special vehicle company in charge of building the new Koper-Divača rail connection, investor mandate for the parallel track as well.

They moreover eliminate the possibility of other countries entering 2TDK or ownership of the new rail infrastructure.

While the first new track of the new 27-km route is expected to be completed by the end 2025, Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Andrej Rajh told MPs that the additional track could be ready in 2030.

The adopted changes moreover envisage that once both new tracks become operational, a section of the existing line between the Prešnica and Dekani junctions will be decommissioned. The rail infrastructure will be removed, and a cycling route will be established along the abandoned track.

There was no opposition to the changes among parties, with Janez Žakelj of the opposition New Slovenia (NSi) speaking of "a cost-effective proposal, as both tracks will share over 16 kilometres of tunnels" and noting that the additional track will be much cheaper to build than the first one.

Moreover, after Hungary in particular was for a while handled as a potential investor in 2TDK, Predrag Baković of the coalition SocDems expressed relief that 2TDK will now be protected from foreign takeovers.

"The complex, risky financial model, which involved commercial financing of the project by other countries, is now finally a thing of the past. Slovenia will build the two new tracks itself, as well as the rest, including the railway infrastructure," he stressed.

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