February 11 (SeeNews) - Croatian state-owned railway infrastructure operator HZ Infrastruktura said it has hired a consortium of four local firms to prepare the feasibility study for the Lepoglava railway junction project.
The 6.2 million kuna ($908,000/832,000 euro) contract (VAT excluded), was signed on February 10 with the consortium comprising ZPD, Granova, Institut IGH and Rijekaprojekt, HZ Infrastruktura said in a statement on Monday.
The European Union is financing 85% of the project cost from its 2014-2020 operational programme Competitiveness and Cohesion.
The feasibility study is planned to be prepared within 13 months.
It will analyse the need for revamping the existing railway sections Cakovec - Varazdin - Lepoglava and Krapina/Sveti Kriz Zacretje - Zabok that have a total length of 54 km, as well as the construction of a new 19-km section linking Lepoglava to Krapina/Sveti Kriz Zacretlje.
The project aims to improve the railway connection between Croatia's north and the capital Zagreb and ensure increased train speed. It will also help further develop transit railway cargo transport, raising the competitiveness of the Croatian economy, HZ Infrastruktura said.
(1 euro = 7.45409 kuna)