Two Bids Filed for Zagreb–Rijeka Rail Consultancy Job

Croatia’s rail infrastructure manager HŽ Infrastruktura has received two bids for a strategic consultancy contract on the planned lowland railway between Zagreb and Rijeka, marking a new step toward modernising one of the country’s most important transport corridors.

Consultancy Tender Attracts Two International Consortia

Publicly available procurement data shows that HŽ Infrastruktura recently opened bids for a technical assistance contract covering the procurement and implementation of an Alliance agreement for the design and construction of the lowland railway between Zagreb and Rijeka. The procedure concerns the sections Karlovac – Skradnik and Skradnik – Krasica – Tijani, which together form a central part of the future high‑capacity route linking the capital with the Adriatic port.

Reports referencing the opening session on 14 July 2026 indicate that two consortia submitted offers for the consultancy job. The tender is structured as technical assistance for what is described as an IPP or Alliance model contract, a collaborative form of procurement that brings the investor and contractors into a single project team with shared objectives, rather than a traditional client‑contractor relationship.

The consultancy contract is expected to cover support in preparing tender documentation, evaluating bids and assisting HŽ Infrastruktura with the management of the Alliance agreement once works begin. While the names of the bidding consortia and financial details were presented at the opening, they are still subject to formal evaluation and decision under Croatia’s public procurement rules.

The procedure follows an earlier notice issued in February 2026 announcing the launch of the tender for technical assistance on the lowland railway. Sector observers see the arrival of two bids as a sign of continued interest from experienced international engineering and project management firms in Croatia’s rail pipeline.

Lowland Route Positioned as Croatia’s Largest Rail Project

Information released by HŽ Infrastruktura and transport sector coverage describe the Zagreb–Rijeka lowland line as the largest single rail project in Croatia to date. The planned corridor, around 175 kilometres in length between the Zagreb area and Rijeka, is intended to remove long‑standing capacity and gradient constraints on the existing mountainous route and to enable significantly higher freight and passenger speeds.

The project is framed as a core element of the RH2 corridor, which connects the Port of Rijeka through Zagreb to the Hungarian border and forms part of the European Union’s Mediterranean Core Network Corridor. Official project descriptions state that the new double‑track, electrified line is being designed for speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour for passenger trains and 120 kilometres per hour for freight, with the objective of making Rijeka more competitive with other North Adriatic ports.

Government and company materials emphasise that the new alignment will include extensive tunnelling and bridging through the mountainous interior, including what is presented as one of the longest rail tunnels yet planned in Croatia. This engineering complexity is one reason why project promoters have opted for a collaborative Alliance delivery model, seeking to align the interests of designers, builders and the infrastructure manager from the outset.

The wider strategy documents for Croatia’s transport system highlight the need to increase rail’s share in freight movements, particularly for container traffic heading to Central Europe. In that context, the lowland line is repeatedly described as a prerequisite for unlocking the full capacity of ongoing and planned investments in Rijeka’s container terminals and hinterland logistics zones.

Alliance Model Signals Shift in How Croatia Builds Rail

According to HŽ Infrastruktura’s explanations of the tender, the IPP or Alliance model represents a relatively new approach for large infrastructure schemes in the country. Instead of awarding a conventional design and build contract, the investor forms an alliance with key private partners, sharing certain project risks and incentives and making decisions in joint governance structures.

Under this framework, the consultancy contract now being tendered is expected to play a pivotal role. Technical advisers will help define performance benchmarks, risk allocation mechanisms and collaborative procedures that will govern future design and construction contracts on the lowland line. This includes advising on how to integrate Croatia’s public procurement rules with the more flexible commercial arrangements that characterise Alliance projects.

Published material on the tender underlines that the technical assistance provider will also help prepare complex documentation for subsequent works and supervision contracts. This is particularly important given the expected involvement of European Union funds, which require rigorous documentation, monitoring and reporting from the early stages of project preparation.

Observers of Croatia’s rail modernisation note that the Alliance experiment on the Zagreb–Rijeka route will be closely watched by both domestic and international stakeholders. If successful in managing costs, timelines and quality on such a challenging project, the model could influence how other major rail and road schemes are structured in the coming years.

Key Freight Corridor Backed by EU and National Funding

Information from HŽ Infrastruktura and the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure places the consultancy tender within a broader sequence of EU‑backed projects along the M202 Zagreb – Rijeka railway. Previous investment phases have focused on documentation and modernisation works on individual sections such as Karlovac – Oštarije, Oštarije – Škrljevo and Hrvatski Leskovac – Karlovac, supported by instruments including the Cohesion Fund and the Connecting Europe Facility.

Recently signed construction contracts on the Hrvatski Leskovac – Karlovac section, coupled with grants for preparation of design documentation further south along the route, illustrate how the Zagreb–Rijeka axis is being advanced through multiple, overlapping schemes. The lowland railway Alliance project is positioned as the integrative step that will eventually tie these upgraded sections into a continuous high‑capacity corridor.

From a European perspective, the modernisation of the Zagreb–Rijeka line is intended to strengthen the Mediterranean freight corridor and improve links between Central Europe and the Adriatic. EU project descriptions highlight the role of the line in carrying intermodal traffic from Rijeka’s container terminals toward Hungary and beyond, reducing transit times and road congestion while cutting emissions.

The consultancy tender for Alliance implementation is therefore not only an administrative step in a single national project but also a link in a broader chain of European transport policy initiatives. The choice of adviser, and the effectiveness of the support they provide, is likely to have a tangible impact on how quickly and smoothly the lowland line moves from planning into full construction.

Next Steps in Evaluation and Project Timetable

With the bids for the consultancy contract now received, HŽ Infrastruktura enters the evaluation phase, during which technical quality, experience and price will be assessed in line with the published criteria. Procurement documentation indicates that the contracting authority will review compliance with formal requirements before examining the content of the technical and financial offers.

Once a preferred bidder is selected and the standstill period has elapsed, the contract can be signed and work on technical assistance can begin. Sector commentary suggests that early mobilisation of the consultancy team will be critical to maintaining momentum on the lowland line, given the scale of preparatory work required before main construction tenders can be issued.

The precise timetable for the onset of large‑scale construction on the Karlovac – Skradnik and Skradnik – Krasica – Tijani sections will depend on the duration of design development, permitting procedures and subsequent procurement of works. However, the opening of bids for the Alliance consultancy is widely regarded as a visible indicator that the project is transitioning from concept and documentation toward tangible delivery steps.

For travellers and freight operators, the ultimate benefits of the Zagreb–Rijeka lowland railway are still several years away. Even so, the arrival of two bids for this consultancy contract suggests that the market is preparing for one of the most ambitious rail infrastructure undertakings in Croatia’s recent history.