Executives of regional rail companies meet with UIC director-general

ZAGREB, Oct 2 (Hina) - Executives of the Croatian rail company HZ met with Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director-General of the International Union of Railways (UIC), in Zagreb on Tuesday ahead of a conference on investment in the railways in Southeast Europe, scheduled for Wednesday. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the rail companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Serbia.

The heads of the regional rail companies informed the UIC director-general about the situation in their companies and problems they were facing regarding investment in rail infrastructure. The talks also underscored the importance of pan-European transport corridors X and Vc, HZ said in a statement.

All the rail companies in the region have been faced with a low level of infrastructure investment over the past years, the problem of old trains, and lack of funds to improve the situation in the rail sector. Joint initiatives and projects are needed to help these companies take their place on the market opposite large rail systems, the statement said.

Loubinoux said that the UIC would always be at the disposal of its members by lobbying in the European Commission for the financing of individual projects and by dealing with other issues of importance to the rail sector.