Today's route: Zagreb Gl.K. - Čakovec - Mursko Središće - Čakovec - Varaždin - Koprivnica - Kloštar - Bjelovar - Križevci - Zagreb Gl.K.; Zagreb Gl.K. - Borongaj - Resnik - Žitnjak - Ranžirni Kolodvor Zagreb north side - Zagreb Klara (staff train); Zagreb Klara - Ranžirni Kolodvor Zagreb south side (past depot) - Žitnjak - Resnik - Borongaj - Zagreb Gl.K. (staff train)
Walked into Čakovec to find the hotels for future reference - a bit of an awkward walk to the Hotel Park, which looks OK. However there is a Motel Royal outside the station which may also be OK and is a lot nearer. There is still evidence of freight traffic over the border from Mursko Središće to Lendava. Watch out at Koprivnica as some Osijek line local trains use a bay platform that is not immediately obvious (trains using it in the current timetable are 6802, 6804, 6808 & 6810 arriving, 6805, 6807 & 6809 departing). There is also a bay track 20 at Varaždin that is used by most trains to and from the Golubovec branch, and this may have been the source of an incorrect rumour than this service was currently all replaced by buses (in fact during this week trains between about 08:00 and 17:00 were replaced by buses between Varaždin and Ivanec, but this is a separate matter). Kloštar to Bjelovar is interesting as it does not appear on many maps, and does indeed appear to be newer than the rest of the route. There have been reports of construction of a curve avoiding the reversal at Križevci but there is no sign yet of this work starting. The Zagreb yard staff shuttles (there is another pair at 06:14 from Zagreb Gl.K. (train 8501 returning there at 07:36 (8500)) are advertised on the departure and arrival sheets at Glavni Kolodvor and also on the electronic indicators. Nobody objected to me getting on, or said anything on the train - even when the driver walked through to change ends at Zagreb Klara. However the guard came round when nearly back at Gl.K. and told me off, in poor English, saying that the train was for Croatian Railways staff only - too late!
Walked into Čakovec to find the hotels for future reference - a bit of an awkward walk to the Hotel Park, which looks OK. However there is a Motel Royal outside the station which may also be OK and is a lot nearer. There is still evidence of freight traffic over the border from Mursko Središće to Lendava. Watch out at Koprivnica as some Osijek line local trains use a bay platform that is not immediately obvious (trains using it in the current timetable are 6802, 6804, 6808 & 6810 arriving, 6805, 6807 & 6809 departing). There is also a bay track 20 at Varaždin that is used by most trains to and from the Golubovec branch, and this may have been the source of an incorrect rumour than this service was currently all replaced by buses (in fact during this week trains between about 08:00 and 17:00 were replaced by buses between Varaždin and Ivanec, but this is a separate matter). Kloštar to Bjelovar is interesting as it does not appear on many maps, and does indeed appear to be newer than the rest of the route. There have been reports of construction of a curve avoiding the reversal at Križevci but there is no sign yet of this work starting. The Zagreb yard staff shuttles (there is another pair at 06:14 from Zagreb Gl.K. (train 8501 returning there at 07:36 (8500)) are advertised on the departure and arrival sheets at Glavni Kolodvor and also on the electronic indicators. Nobody objected to me getting on, or said anything on the train - even when the driver walked through to change ends at Zagreb Klara. However the guard came round when nearly back at Gl.K. and told me off, in poor English, saying that the train was for Croatian Railways staff only - too late!