The International Memorandum of Understanding on timetable harmonisation between Slovenia and Croatia on trains on the Trieste – Ljubljana – Zagreb route has been signed.

The Memorandum is a result of the European RAIL4SEE project of striving for quality service of the passenger rail transport.

The Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region (RRA LUR), one of the project partners of the European transnational RAIL4SEE project, organised a signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Slovenian and Croatian railways about timetable harmonisation on the Trieste – Ljubljana – Zagreb route. The event of important move toward improving passenger service of the rail transport was held on Tuesday, 24 September 2014 at the Ljubljana Castle. The project's main objective is integrating different transport levels to improve the transport connectivity in the south-east Europe.

RRA LUR Director, Lilijana Madjar, MBA has pointed out the public transport and public traffic infrastructure arrangement is one of the key development priorities of the Agency: "Our Agency is currently undertaking a few important regional and international projects from the field, among them the RAIL4SEE project, which aims to improve the passenger rail transport. One of the most visible project results at the Ljubljana Urban Region is the International Memorandum of Understanding on timetable harmonisation on the Trieste – Ljubljana – Zagreb route, signed by the Slovenian and Croatian railway companies today. Beside its improved service, the Memorandum is also important as an example how we can improve a situation with soft measures as is the timetable harmonisation."

The Memorandum signers – it also includes an agreement the trains toward Italy will be harmonised with Zagreb or the Croatian Railway trains – observe a new opportunity in attracting larger numbers of passengers and better connectivity with neighbouring countries.

The RAIL4SEE Project

The Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region (RRA LUR) is one of the 28 project partners of the Rail Hub Cities for South East Europe project, shortened to RAIL4SEE, a strategic transnational project by the European Commission to promote accessibility and connectivity of the European regions. The project's objective is to enhance rail transport by improving the feeding functions on rail network of eleven major hub cities and their regions. The project partners call for interventions facing the alleviation of barriers for rail hubs integration on the local, regional, transnational and TEN-T level. One of the important objectives is the transport services harmonisation and governance improvement. The project activity is founded on building mutual concepts for rail hubs integration by exchanging experience among partners, analysing good practice and joining mutual workshops.