Light Railway in Zagreb in 10 Years

Europeans are small ants for us when it comes to project construction, - said Mayor Bandićat the presentation of the new track system.

In eight to ten years Zagreb will get a light railway, it was announced at a presentation of the Programme of the Realisation of the Underground-Track System in Zagreb. All included in that project agree that it is the best and the most advantageous solution for traffic jams in Croatia’s capital. It is estimated that an ordinary underground railway would cost twice as much compared to the light railway.

Underground is a megalomaniacal solution

Ivan Legac, a professor at Zagreb’s Faculty of Traffic Engineering led the whole presentation. He said that this project would most likely be accepted by city councillors, despite the fact that it seems megalomaniacal with regards its cost, size, the number of passengers and, especially, expenses. It will cost us EUR600 million for its construction and the rolling stock.

‘A fool and his money are soon parted.’

Addressing present, Mayor Milan Bandic said that he had enough of nightmares, devil’s advocates and disunion among Croatian citizens, as well as people who always have something against useful projects, which had as a cause that constructing something took more time than it really should.

‘These in Europe are small ants when it comes to building!’, said Bandic, adding, ‘But we spend 90 percent of the time in negotiating, so we are champions in that in Europe as well.

He said that the city had wasted a lot of money on negotiations and studies and this project should put an end to this. ‘There is no throwing money down the drain. A fool and his money are soon parted’, the mayor was sharp.

Three more major traffic project to a metropolis

Bandic said that the light railway was just one of the major traffic projects in Zagreb. Of course, the north tangent, known as ‘the ring’ are left, together with the construction of a tunnel through the Mount Medvednica overlooking Zagreb, as well as an elevated railroad above the city centre, which will all together make Zagreb a metropolis, Bandic reckons.