Last update for this page: 23 September 2006.
National railway system:
|
|
In the Muslim-Croat Federation: Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine (ŽFBH, formerly ŽBH). |
|
|
In the Republika Srpska: Željeznice Republike Srpske (ŽRS). |
The boundary stations between the two entities are (in the order ŽRS - ŽFBH):
|
|
Blatna - Otoka Bosanska on the Novi Grad - Bihać line. |
|
|
Rječica - Maglaj on the Doboj - Sarajevo line. |
|
|
Brčko - Bukovac on the Drenovci - Tuzla line. |
|
|
Petrovo Novo - Miričina on the Doboj - Tuzla line. |
|
|
Modriča - Gradačac (no freight traffic). |
|
|
Caparde - Kalesija on the Tuzla - Zvornik line (no passenger service). |
Language: Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian according to area.
Currency: Konvertibilna Marka (Convertible Mark) (KM; 1 KM = 1 German Mark); Euro notes (not coins) are widely accepted.
UIC code: ŽFBH: 50; ŽRS: 44 (initially, ŽFBH was allocated code 89; when ŽRS was later formed, the ŽFBH code was changed to 50)
Timetable: ŽRS publishes a timetable in booklet form "Red Vožnje" that also includes many ŽFBH services, particularly around the ŽRS/ŽFBH border areas. This timetable information is also available on the ŽRS website. ŽFBH does not publish a timetable book, but schedules are posted in stations.
Gauge: Standard
Electrification: 25kV 50Hz
Rule of the road: Right
Other Railways: none.
Tourist Lines: none.
Metro: none
Trams: Sarajevo
Trolleybuses: Sarajevo
Recent and future changes:
BHŽJK [Bosansko Hercegovačka Željeznička Javna Korporacija] is the umbrella organisation that co-ordinates ŽRS and ŽFBH activities. It has offices in Doboj.
International services to Croatia and beyond have been introduced recently as follows:
|
|
via the Dobrljin - Volinja crossing: one daily train pair between between Ploče and Zagreb; |
|
|
via the Šamac (formerly Bosanski Šamac) - Slavonski Šamac crossing: one daily train pair between Banja Luka and Beograd, and one daily train pair between Sarajevo and Budapest; |
|
|
via the Brčko - Gunja crossing: one daily train pair between Tuzla and Drenovci, with connections to/from Vinkovci. |
A number of passenger services ceased during the war (1991 onwards): prospects for re-opening are slim though all (except Modriča - Gradačac) carry freight traffic:
|
|
Podlugovi - Vareš |
|
|
Modriča - Gradačac |
|
|
Tuzla - Živinice - Banovići |
|
|
Omarska - Tomašica |
|
|
Bihać - Martin Brod - Knin (Croatia) |
A new route from Valjevo via Zvornik (in Serbia) to Tuzla (in Bosnia-Hercegovina) was started before the break-up of Yugoslavia. Completion of the Zvornik to Tuzla section was interrupted by the war in 1991 but has since been largely finished. The line carries no regular traffic but has seen occasional SFOR military traffic.Note that this line is shown wrongly, or not at all, on many maps, and actually runs from Rasputnica [= junction] Donja Borina, just south of Brasina on the line to Zvornik Grad, via a cross-border river bridge to Zvornik Novi (where there is a large works) then on to Caparde and Kalesija before ending at Živinice, which is on a freight line south from Tuzla. The Beograd - Banja Luka service was intended to run this way but runs instead via Šamac (see above), possibly because of the SFOR traffic and poor track condition on the ŽS (former JŽ) line between Ruma and Zvornik. Work on the Valjevo to Zvornik section was stopped - some construction work can be seen at the Valjevo end - but there are plans of a restart using EU finance.
There are optimistic plans by ŽRS to connect the isolated Bijeljina - Velino Selo - Sid ŽS (former JŽ) line to the Doboj - Šamac line, branching off just north of Milosevac on the Šamac line and running through Brčko to Bijeljina. This would provide a direct link to Serbia, to eliminate the need to cross into Croatia or the Muslim-Croat Federation, and would connect the western and southern parts of the Republika Srpska.
Corridor Trains: none.
Special Notes:
Under no circumstances should disused railway lines or installations be explored, because they may not have been cleared of mines.
Maps: There is no published map, except that in M.G. Ball's "European Railway Atlas".
Last complete update 30 December 2001; general update (26 January 2003, 22 February 2003, 7 September 2003); Recent and future changes updated (4 October 2003); general update (23 September 2006).
Copyright © 2001 - 2006. All rights reserved. Copies of this document, whether made electronically or otherwise, must be for personal use only and shall not be used for commercial purposes. The information supplied in this document is for general reference only and should not be relied upon without further specific enquiry. You may alter the formatting and content of this document only to suit your own computer or printer.