IN Brief:
- Comsa has signed a €278.8m contract to upgrade the Hrvatski Leskovac–Karlovac rail section in Croatia.
- The project includes full reconstruction, a second electrified track, and signalling and telecoms renewal.
- The deal adds to a steady run of EU-backed rail modernisation work across central and south-eastern Europe.
Comsa has signed a major contract to upgrade a 44km section of railway in Croatia, adding another substantial package to the European rail modernisation pipeline.
The contract covers the Hrvatski Leskovac–Karlovac section of line M202, part of the wider Zagreb–Rijeka corridor. It is valued at €278.8m excluding VAT and includes reconstruction of the existing line, construction of a second electrified track, replacement of signalling and telecommunications systems, and refurbishment of station buildings at Hrvatski Leskovac, Jastrebarsko, and Karlovac. Work is due to begin this summer and run through to 2029.
The package combines civil engineering, track, systems, structures, and station works across a route that is strategically important for both passenger and freight movement. Once complete, the upgraded section is expected to support speeds of up to 160km/h, improving capacity and reliability on one of Croatia’s key rail corridors.
Projects of this type remain some of the most substantial sources of public infrastructure workload in Europe. They demand large-scale coordination across design, civil works, rail systems, utilities, access arrangements, and existing network interfaces. For contractors with experience in integrated rail delivery, they offer long-duration work with clear funding visibility and a strong public investment rationale.
The Croatian contract also fits a broader regional pattern. Across central, eastern, and south-eastern Europe, rail improvement programmes continue to attract funding tied to capacity, interoperability, and corridor development. Much of that work centres not on entirely new routes, but on the rebuilding of constrained legacy infrastructure so it can handle higher performance, greater reliability, and more efficient freight movements.
That approach has created recurring demand for contractors and suppliers involved in track, structures, signalling, telecoms, geotechnical work, drainage, plant, and digital control systems. The procurement environment can be exacting and the delivery periods long, but the workload is visible and often better protected than many privately financed building schemes.
The wider rail market continues to be shaped by resilience and network performance as much as by expansion. Existing routes are being upgraded to cope with heavier demand, tighter timetable expectations, and more integrated regional transport strategies. Where those programmes are backed by long-term funding frameworks, they offer a level of continuity that remains attractive across the European infrastructure sector.
Comsa’s latest win extends that pattern. It is a major corridor upgrade with multi-year delivery, public backing, and a broad package of rail and civil engineering work. Across Europe, contracts of this kind remain among the clearest indicators of where large-scale infrastructure spending is still translating into live programmes.