Croatia is booming. More and more railfreight operators are discovering the opportunities that the country can offer. Think of the Rail Cargo Group, PPD Transport and MMV from Hungary for example. As of early August, also the Croatian subsidiary of Austria based RAIL & SEA operates freight trains in the country.

To perform its Croatian operations, RAIL & SEA has hired Beacon Rail blue EuroRunner locomotive 223-003. The loco is currently employed on the calcite services Gospić - Zagreb - Dobova - Gospić. Together with RAIL & SEA, mgw and the Croatian authorities, Beacon Rail has worked hard to add Croatia to the country package of the ER20 locomotive. The video above shows the locomotive on the first train operated by RAIL & SEA in Croatia.

Rail&Sea is the first and only independent railway company operating on the Lika line, known because of steep ascents and small radius curves. Rail&Sea calcite trains are normally split in Oštarije into two lighter trains, enabling the single ER20 to haul them through Rudopolje to Gospić. The same operation is usual for the return trip.

(Toma Bacic)