Why the Second track?
The Second track of the Divača-Koper railway line is crucial for the railway infrastructure, as the existing single-track line does not meet the actual needs, which limits throughput and hampers the growth of freight traffic.
The new track will increase capacity to 212 trains per day, allowing the transport of almost 37 million tonnes of freight per year. This will facilitate the operations of the Port of Koper and increase Slovenia's competitiveness as a logistics hub.
Once completed as a double-track line (right and left parallel track), the project will improve traffic flow and have a positive impact on the environment in the long term.
Key economic benefits
The project's social justification was calculated based on the economic and financial analysis.
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Increased revenue from user charges
Higher revenue from regular and increased rail user charges.
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Operational cost savings
Reduced costs for freight operators and passengers due to more efficient operations.
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Saving time
Faster and shorter routes will allow faster transport for passengers and freight.
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More reliable transport
Increased transport reliability will boost efficiency and competitiveness.
Inadequacy of the existing track
The existing single-track electrified railway line between Koper and Divača is the only rail link between the port of Koper and the hinterland. It was built in 1967 and has been officially re-packed since 2018.
Haul track
The haul track between the Dekani ENP and the Koper freight station is 1.2 km long. It represents the removal of a bottleneck on part of the common route of the existing and planned track of the Second track. Construction work started in June 2016 and were completed in 2019.
The haul track is co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). A grant of €14,187,107 has been approved for the siding works. For the realisation of the investment, 5 contractors' contracts have been signed for the individual lots for a total value of € 14,959,571.24 including VAT.
Improving the capacity of the Divača-Koper railway line
Following the completion of the Second track, the capacity of the upgraded existing line will increase from 90 to 102 trains per day and the transport capacity from 14 to 17.7 million net tonnes per year due to the changed traffic organisation.
The capacity of both tracks will increase from the current 90 to 212 trains per day
Considering freight train operations exclusively in the Koper–Divača direction (on the new track) and the expected load of freight trains, as well as the calculated following intervals, the capacity of the new track or second track will be 120 trains per day, or 25.7 million net tons per year. The capacity of both tracks (the existing and the second track) will increase from the current 90 trains per day to 212 trains per day, or 36.9 million tons per year.
Passenger trains
Maximum speed of trains
Travel time - now 45 minutes
Freight trains
Maximum speed of trains
Travel time - now 45 minutes
Upgrade to double-track
The Second track project envisages a single-track line with service pipes along the longest tunnels.
With the expansion of service tunnels in the tunnels, leading to a later upgrade to a double-track line
In order to enable the upgrade of the Second track line to a double-track, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a decision in June 2017 to prepare the necessary foundations for the expansion of service tunnels in tunnels T1, T2, and T8, as well as to amend the construction permit.
In February 2018, the Directorate of the Republic of Slovenia for Infrastructure obtained amendments to the project construction documentation, based on which, in August 2018, the Environment Agency (ARSO) decided that a new environmental impact assessment and environmental consent were not required. It was also confirmed by the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning that no change to the construction permit was necessary.
In October 2024, the National Assembly adopted an amendment to the law on the construction, management, and operation of the second track of the Divača-Koper railway line, which, in addition to the single-track line, allows for the construction of a parallel left track. 61% of the parallel left track has already been built, as the three longest tunnels along the route of the right track (T1, T2, and T8) were constructed with service tunnels that will serve as the route for the parallel track.
Growth of freight traffic on motorways
Traffic on Slovenia's roads is growing and will continue to grow, but the construction of the second railway track and other rail measures will mean that in 2030 there will be around 3,000 fewer trucks on Slovenia's motorways every day.
Building a Second track to increase the capacity of Slovenian motorways
The construction of the second Divača-Koper track will shift part of the freight traffic to rail, which will result in slightly more than half a million fewer freight vehicles on Slovenian motorways per year in 2030 than without this investment (and others in rail infrastructure). This figure is even significantly higher if we look at the year 2040, when Slovenian motorways will also have almost one million fewer freight vehicles per year thanks to the Second track.
With such a reduction in the number of trucks on the motorways, the Second track will contribute significantly to increasing the throughput and reducing the congestion on the Slovenian road network. The existing rail link between Divača and Koper is 100% full as of 2018, so freight from the Port of Koper is increasingly moving to the roads. In 2021, 58% of Port Koper transhipments were transported by rail, while in 2022 only 54% will be transported by rail. The construction of the Second track will almost triple the capacity of the Divača-Koper line and will make an important contribution to meeting the EU's targets for a shift to more sustainable modes of transport.
Competitiveness of the freight Port of Koper
The Port of Koper is the main source of freight traffic on the Divača-Koper railway line. According to data from the Port of Koper, d.d., the total cargo throughput in 2022 has reached 23.2 million tonnes of goods, exceeding the planned volumes by 378 thousand tonnes, or 2%. Compared to 2021, the transhipment volume increased by 2.4 million tonnes, or 12 per cent.
Cargo throughput at the Port of Koper in 2022
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801.036 pieces
vehicles transhipped
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1.659 ships
ships at berth
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23,2 million tonnes
of shipping tonnage
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1.017.788 TEU
containers loaded and unloaded
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21.824 trains
arrived and departed the port
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280.817 wagons
wagons unloaded and loaded
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399.291 lorries
entered the port
The Port of Koper ensures the shortest transit time for cargo from Shanghai, China, to Munich, Germany.
The Port of Koper, along with other important northern Adriatic ports – Venice, Trieste, Ravenna, and Rijeka – is attractive for transoceanic cargo, especially shipments coming from Asia via the Suez Canal. This cargo reaches northern Adriatic ports about a week earlier than it would reach competing northern European ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp.
The shorter maritime navigation time of 5 to 6 days is a key competitive advantage for Koper over northern European ports.
The growth of market shares in existing hinterland countries and the increase in shares in relatively new markets, particularly in southern Germany, requires reliable and improved hinterland connections, primarily by rail.