Trip to Croatia and Bosnia - early April 2014
General Notes
A trip to Croatia and Bosnia (and Serbia, briefly) to travel on the PTG Tours "Rail Wonders of Croatia and Bosnia" tour. There were only a few sections of 'required track' but it's such an interesting area, historically and for its railways, it's always good to visit again. Many of the routes we travelled over this week have no, or minimal, passenger services, particularly in Bosnia.
Numbers/letters in [square brackets] are platform identifiers. Photo album here.
Operating Company Abbreviations and Details
- HŽ - Hrvatske Železnice (Croatian Railways)
- ŽFBH - Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine (Railways of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina)
- ŽRS - Željeznice Republike Srpske (Railways of Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia-Hercegovina)
- ŽS - Železnice Serbije (Serbian Railways)
Track gauge
Standard gauge unless otherwise stated. Standard gauge: 1435 mm; metre gauge: 1000 mm.
| Place | Arrive | Depart | Train | Traction details & notes |
Saturday 5 April 2014
| Timperley | ? | walk | ||
| Navigation Road | ? | 08:10 | Northern DMU 150 xxx | |
| Manchester Piccadilly | 08:30 | 09:15 | Virgin Trains EMU 390 046 | |
| London Euston | 11:24 | |||
| Euston | 11:33 | Northern Line EMU | ||
| Waterloo | 11:44 | |||
| London Waterloo | 11:50 [19] | South West Trains EMU 458 004 + 458 023 | ||
| Clapham Junction | 11:57 | 12:31 | EMU 378 218 | |
| West Brompton | 12:37 | 12:43 | District Line EMU | |
| Earls Court | 12:45 | 12:52 | Piccadilly Line EMU | |
| Heathrow T123 | 13:30 | |||
| Heathrow Airport (LHR) | 16:40 | OU491 | Croatia Airlines Airbus A320 9A-CTJ push-back 16:58, take-off 17:14 from runway 27L | |
| Zagreb Airport (ZAG) | 19:55 | ? | landed 20:08, on stand 20:14 / bus | |
| Zagreb bus station | ? | Today's photos | ||
| Overnight (PTG): Hotel Palace, Zagreb. | ||||
| Notes: I had originally planned to fly from Manchester to Zagreb via Munich, but there was a problem with the flights, hence the direct flight from London. |
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Sunday 6 April 2014
| Zagreb Gl.kol. | 07:50 | 16201 | HŽ DL 2062 018 | |
| * Zagreb Ranžirni Kolodvor Otpremna Skupina | 08:14 | 08:29 | HŽ DL2062 018 run-round; plus HZ DL 2132 320 shunt westwards for ~ 1 km | |
| Velika Gorica | 08:40 | 08:55 | 16300 | HŽ DL2062 018 run-round (arr 13 late/dep 10 late) |
| Via Zagreb Klara (curve) - Zagreb Ranžirni Kolodvor Prijemna Skupina - Zagreb Ranžirni Kolodvor Otpremna Skupina - Sava rasputnica - Zagreb Resnik - Sesvete (09:33, pass 10 late) - Dugo Selo - Ivanić Grad (crossing move; dep 10:18) - Deanovec (10:09, pass 15 late) - Kutina (crossing move; arr 10:59/dep 11:09) | ||||
| * Banova Jaruga | 10:54 | HŽ DL 2041 104 (arr 11:16/dep 11:29) | ||
| Daruvar | 12:46 | 13:01 | 16205 | HŽ DL 2041 104 run-round (arr 60 late/dep 60 late) |
| * Banova Jaruga | 14:53 | 15:08 | HŽ DL 2062 018 | |
| Via Lipovljani (15:20, pass 46 late) - Novska (15:29; pass 46 late) - Nova Kapela-Batrina (shunt at west end, dep 16:14/dep 46 late) | ||||
| Velika | 17:01 | 17:27 | 16207 | HŽ DL 2062 018 run-round (arr 46 late/dep 48 late) |
| Nova Kapela-Batrina | 18:28 | 18:44 | HŽ DL 2062 018 run-round (arr 56 late/dep 52 late) | |
| Via Slavonski Brod (19:06; crew change, dep 55 late) - Strizivojna-Vrpolje (19:26/19:33; arr 60 late/dep 58 late) - Đakovo (19:59; pass 55 late) | ||||
| Osijek | 20:33 | ? | arr 55 late / PTG bus | |
| Hotel | ? | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Banova Jaruga - Daruvar. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: south -> east curve at Zagreb Klara; west -> south curve at Zagreb Ranžirni Kolodvor Otpremna Skupina. | ||||
| Overnight (PTG): Hotel Osijek, Osijek. | ||||
| Notes: Day 1 of the PTG "Croatia and Bosnia" railtour. See EGTRE File Zagreb.png for a map of the Zagreb area, which will help with this morning's routing. Daruvar northwards to Pčelić closed in 2010 before I had chance to travel over it; though as it happens that section did then re-open in 2018! |
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Monday 7 April 2014
| Hotel | ? | PTG bus | ||
| Osijek | ? | 16440 | ||
| Kolodvor | 07:50 | '2' | Osijek tram 0713 metre gauge | |
| Bikara | 08:28 | 08:34 | '2' | Osijek tram 0713 metre gauge |
| Kolodvor | 08:55 | |||
| Osijek | 09:15 | 16441 | HŽ DL 2062 026 dep 5 late | |
| Županja | 10:22 | 11:05 | 15881 | HŽ DL 2062 026 run-round |
| Vinkovci | 11:40 | 11:54 | HŽ DL 2062 026 run-round dep 58 late | |
| Slavonski Šamac (customs) | 12:31 | 12:56 | ŽRS DL 661 278 arr 62 late/dep 61 late | |
| Bosanski Šamac (customs) | 13:03 | 13:22 | arr 62 late/dep 71 late | |
| Doboj | 14:37 | 15:01 | 36607 | ŽFBH DL 661 267 arr 76 late/dep 65 late |
| Via Petrovo Novo (pass 16:34) - Bosanska Poljana (15:58/15:59; arr 66 late, cross train, dep 87 late) | ||||
| Kreka | 16:06 | 17:30 | arr 86 late, depot visit, dep 28 late | |
| Tuzla | 19:58 | ? | arr 28 late / PTG bus | |
| Hotel | ? | Today's photos | ||
| Overnight (PTG): Hotel Tuzla (1st of 2 nights). | ||||
| Notes: Day 2 of the PTG "Croatia and Bosnia" railtour. The railtour went from Osijek to Beli Manastir and back first thing this morning; as I'd done this previously, I joined some other participants in travelling over Osijek tram route '2'. |
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Tuesday 8 April 2014
| Hotel | 06:30 | PTG bus | ||
| Tuzla | ? | 07:00 | 701 | ŽFBH DL 661 305 |
| Via Bosanska Poljana (arr 07:19/ dep 07:21) - Živinice - hit taxi on level crossing 07:41/08:14) - Kalesija (dep 08:35) | ||||
| Zvornik Novi | 09:20 | 10:10 | arr 3 late / ŽRS DL 661 031 | |
| Brasina (customs) | 10:24 | 10:58 | ŽS DL 661 256 | |
| Zvornik | 10:12 | 10:30 | ŽS DL 661 256 loco run-round | |
| Šabac | ŽS DL 661 256 loco run-round | |||
| Ruma | 13:25 | 13:45 | ŽS EL 441 748 arr 95 late/dep 100 late | |
| Šid (customs) | 15:05 | 15:30 | HŽ DL 2062 001 arr 103 late/dep 96 late | |
| Tovarnik (customs) | 15:37 | 15:57 | arr 98 late/dep 91 late | |
| Vinkovci | 16:16 | 16:35 | HŽ DL 2062 001 loco run-round arr 92 late/dep 92 late | |
| Drenovci (customs) | 17:24 | 17:44 | arr 93 late/dep 89 late | |
| Brčko (customs) | 17:56 | 18:09 | 23033 | ŽFBH DL 661 308 arr 91 late/dep 111 late |
| Tuzla | 19:58 | ? | arr 100 late / PTG bus | |
| Hotel | ? | Today's photos | ||
| Overnight (PTG): Hotel Tuzla (2nd of 2 nights). | ||||
| Notes: Day 3 of the PTG "Croatia and Bosnia" railtour. We completed the passenger branch to Zvornik (Ruma - Šabac (reverse) - Zvornik) though I had done this in 2003, including beyond the block post at Zvornik to Zvornik Grad; we also did the triangle at Šabac which we weren't able to do this time. |
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Wednesday 9 April 2014
| Hotel | ? | PTG bus | ||
| Tuzla | ? | 08:00 | 8291 | ŽFBH DL 661 316 |
| Via Kreka (dep 08:11, 54 early) - Bosanska Poljana - Ljubače (dep 08:35) | ||||
| Banovići | 10:47 | arr 09:00 | ||
| Banovići Oskova | 09:31 | DL 740 113 (760 mm gauge) | ||
| Turija | 10:36 | 10:46 | DL 740 113 loco run-round | |
| Banovići Oskova (shed) | 11:40 | |||
| Banovići | 12:28 | 36602 | ŽFBH DL 661 316 dep 14 early | |
| * Bosanska Poljana | ŽFBH DL 661 305 | |||
| Via triangle north junction (reverse, propel) - east (reverse) junctions - Lukavac (arr 13:27/dep 13:50) - Petrovo Novo (arr 14:07/dep 14:49) - Sočkovac (pass 14:56) | ||||
| Doboj | 14:13 | 14:46 | 16397 | ŽFBH DL 661 307 arr 63 late/dep 69 late |
| Via Maglaj (15:13, dep 70 late) - Zenica (16:19, dep 101 late) - Kakanj - Podlugovi | ||||
| Sarajevo | 17:43 | ? | arr 100 late PTG bus | |
| Hotel | ? | Today's photos | ||
| Overnight (PTG): Hotel Hollywood, Sarajevo (1st of 2 nights). | ||||
| Notes: Day 4 of the PTG "Croatia and Bosnia" railtour. The weather let us down today: many of us started the narrow gauge trip on an open wagon but the cold rain forced most of into a covered box van for the return. |
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Thursday 10 April 2014
| Hotel | ? | PTG bus | ||
| Sarajevo | ? | 07:48 | 15601 | ŽFBH DL 212 215 |
| Via Alipašin Most (07:55) - Rasputnica Miljacka (08:00/reverse, propelling move) | ||||
| * Rajlovac Teretna | 08:00 | 08:15 | ŽFBH DL 661 323 arr 10 late/dep 14 late; depot/workshops visit | |
| Via Raštelica (09:01) - Mostar (10:43) | ||||
| * Čapljina | 11:16 | 11:31 | HŽ DL 2041 025 | |
| Via Metković (11:38/11:53; arr 48 late) | ||||
| Ploče | 12:11 | 13:06 | 15602 | HŽ DL 2041 025 arr 52 late/dep 50 late |
| Via Metković (13:23/13:41; arr 60 late) | ||||
| * Čapljina | 13:48 | 14:05 | ŽFBH DL 661 323 | |
| Via Mostar (14:38/16:40; visit town and famous river bridge) - Alipašin Most (19:00/19:06) - Sarajevo Teretna (19:11/19:25; reverse, propelling move) - Alipašin Most (19:30/19:31; reverse) | ||||
| Sarajevo | 19:37 | ? | PTG bus | |
| Hotel | ? | Today's photos | ||
| New non-passenger track today: Rasputnica Miljacka - Rajlovac Teretna (Sarajevo avoiding line). | ||||
| Overnight (PTG): Hotel Hollywood, Sarajevo (2nd of 2 nights). | ||||
| Notes: Day 5 of the PTG "Croatia and Bosnia" railtour. The goods line direct from Alipašin Most to Rajlovac Teretna was blocked during to construction work on a new bridge, so we had to reverse at the south apex of the triangular layout (Rasputnica Miljacka) then use the avoiding line, which was 'required'. We had a good wander around the depot/workshops at Rajlovac Teretna before continuing south towards Ploče. On the return we had time for a walk around Mostar and a look at the famous bridge that connects the two sides of the town. |
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Friday 11 April 2014
| Hotel | ? | PTG bus | ||
| Sarajevo | ? | 08:00 | 60100 | ŽFBH DL 661 323 |
| Via Alipašin Most (08:06/08:07) - Rasputnica Miljacka (08:10/reverse, propelling move) - Rajlovac Teretna (08:12/08:50; depot/workshops visit; loco run-round) - Semizovac (09:01/09:13; dep 18 late) - Podlugovi (09:24/09:25; dep 21 late) | ||||
| Dabravine | 10:30 | 10:44 | 8190 | ŽFBH DL 661 323 loco run-round |
| Via Podlugovi (11:20/11:31; loco run-round) - Bobrinje, ukrs (11:46/11:56) - Zenica (12:28/12:30) - Maglaj (13:42; pass 50 late) | ||||
| Doboj | 14:08 | 14:23 | ŽRS DL 661 278 dep 60 late | |
| Banja Luka | 16:08 | ? | PTG bus | |
| Hotel | ? | Today's photos | ||
| New non-passenger track today: steelworks line north of Zenica. | ||||
| Overnight (PTG): Hotel Bosna, Banja Luka. | ||||
| Notes: Day 6 of the PTG "Croatia and Bosnia" railtour. Via reversal at Rasputnica Miljacka again, for a second visit to Rajlovac Teretna. The railtour reversed at Dabravine instead of at Vareš due to the condition of the track. From Zenica towards Maglaj we travelled via the more westerly route of the two parallel routes, alongside the steelworks (where we passed one of their working steam shunting engines); all passenger trains use the more easterly route. |
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Saturday 12 April 2014
| Hotel | ? | PTG bus | ||
| Banja Luka | ? | 09:30 | ŽRS DL 661 325 | |
| Via Brezič (10:29) - Novi Grad teretna | ||||
| Novi Grad | 10:56 | 11:06 | 2041 | ŽFBH DL 661 322 dep 10 late |
| Via Bihać (12:50/12:52) | ||||
| Martin Brod | 13:59 | 14:20 | 2040 | ŽFBH DL 661 322 run-round |
| Via propelling move into section towards Knin (reverse) - Bihać (15:27/15:29) | ||||
| Novi Grad | 17:13 | ŽRS DL 661 325 | ||
| Dobrljin (customs) | 17:45 | 18:05 | 15650 | dep 40 late |
| Volinja (customs) | 18:13 | 18:37 | HŽ DL 2062 110 dep 51 late | |
| Via Sunja (19:03; pass 65 late) - Sisak Caprag (19:28; arr 65 late/dep 88 late) - Velika Gorica (19:52; pass 98 late) - Zagreb Resnik (20:10; pass 98 late) | ||||
| Zagreb Gl. kl. | 20:22 | Today's photos | ||
| Overnight (PTG): Hotel Palace, Zagreb. | ||||
| Notes: Day 7 of the PTG "Croatia and Bosnia" railtour. Shunting back into the section beyond Martin Brod towards Knin allowed some of us to 'overlap' with the 2003 Knin - Martin Brod - Novi Grad tour when we changed trains at Martin Brod. |
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Sunday 13 April 2014
| Autobus kol. Zagreb | 12:00 | airport bus | ||
| Zagerb Airport (ZAG) | 12:30 | 14:30 | LH1415 | Lufthansa |
| Frankfurt Airport (FRA) | 16:00 | |||
| Frankfurt am Main Regionalbahnhof | 17:02 | 'S8' | DB EMU 420 430 + 420 431 | |
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf | 17:14 | 17:47 | 'S8' | DB EMU 420 360 + 420 264 |
| Hauptwache | 17:50 | 19:13 | 'S8' | DB EMU 420 264 + 420 360 |
| Frankfurt am Main Regionalbahnhof | 19:29 | |||
| Frankfurt Airport (FRA) | 21:55 | LH2948 | Lufthansa | |
| Manchester Airport | 22:40 | |||
| Timperley | ? | |||
| Notes: Heading home. |
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