The line Sarajevo – Ploče is known by two different names: in Bosnia and
Herzegovina it is known as Southern railway (Južna pruga), and in Europe as
Neretva line, after the river of the eponymous name. Neretva railway name is
inherited from the narrow, 760 mm gauge line, built in the 19th century.
Sarajevo – Ploče 760 mm line was built in stages. Mostar – Metković, 42.4 km
stretch was opened on June 14, 1885. 65.7 km section, Mostar – Ostrožac section
followed on August 22, 1888. The sections over the Ivan pass (876 m asl) were
opened as follows: Ostrožac – Konjic (13 km) on November 10, 1889, and Konjic
– Sarajevo (55.9 km) on August 1, 1891, although local traffic between Sarajevo
and Ilidža starts already on May 1, 1890. The southernmost 21 km Metković –
Ploče section was opened on November 25, 1942. In the first years of operation,
trains needs 9 hours to reach Mostar from Sarajevo!
Six rack sections, of up to 63‰ totals 18.9 km between Konjic and Sarajevo. 645
m long Ivan tunnel was the central infrastructure object on the line. Sections of
the narrow gauge Sarajevo – Mostar line were realigned twice – in the 1930s and
1950s. The Ivan pass section was modernized in the 1930s, and the new Ivan
tunnel (3221 m) was built, and opened on April 10, 1931. Interestingly, the
tunnel was built with the diameter for the normal gauge line, foreseen the future
upgrade to 1435 mm. The old Ivan tunnel is widened and is in use as the road
tunnel. In 1953 the line was heavily realigned in Jablanica area, due to the
construction of the large hydropower station and Jablanica artificial lake. Crnaja
tunnel on that alignment was built according to the normal gauge profile and
today the 1435 mm line uses it.
Within 20 th century steam operations, locomotives of the class 97 were hauling
the trains over the rack section. The class 73, 83 and 85 steamers were the
workhorses on the adhesion sections of the line.
At the end of the WW2, only very few lines in Bosnia and Herzegovina were of
normal gauge: Dobrljin – Novigrad (then known as Bosanski Novi) – Banja Luka
and Novigrad – Bihać. On November 15, after just 8 months of construction, the
Šamac – Sarajevo line was opened; replacing the narrow gauge line.
An extension from Bihać south towards Knin in Croatia, known as Una line, was
opened in 1948. The line south from Sarajevo to the port of Ploče was the next
logical step. The designing of that line starts in 1948, and only 10 years later 13
variants of the route were defined. To keep the costs down as possible, an
important request for the new line was to use the existing Ivan tunnel. The line
was built on the similar alignment as the old narrow gauge line, but on higher
altitudes, as large portions of Neretva river were transformed into the
accumulation lakes for hydropower stations. The 1435 mm kine was opened on
November 26, 1966 from Sarajevo to Mostar, and a day later from Mostar to
Ploče.
The Neretva Railway is 194.6 km long and connects the capital of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Sarajevo, via Mostar and Čapljina to the Croatian port of Ploče.
Sarajevo is the place where world history was forged! In 1914, the assassination
of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo led to the start of the World War. 78
years later, Sarajevo was besieged; which resulted in the painful siege of
Sarajevo, which ended in 1995.
The line starts at Sarajevo station, originally known as Sarajevo Novo (to be
distinguished from Sarajevo 760 mm station), initially running through the
Sarajevo field. The rural landscape starts already after Hadžići (km 19.2), and the
first longer tunnel is located imediatelly after Pazarić station (km 26.2) – Osenik
tunel 1888 m long. Between Pazarići and Raštelica (723 m asl, km 34.8 ) stations,
the line is becoming a real mountain line. On this section, 5 Tarčin viaducts are
located. On the next section, before the station of Bradina, tunnel Ivan is located.
Bradina station (756 m asl, km 41.4) is the highest point of the line; it is also
border between Bosnia to the north, and Herzegovina to the south. At Bradina
descent to Konjic starts. Between Bradina and Grad stations, 1201 m tunnel ‘20’
is located. Southern part of the Grad station (613 m asl, 49.1 km) as well as part
of the Ovčari (440 m asl, 57.9 km) are in the 3 tracks tunnels! Between Grad and
Konjic (283 m asl, 66.6 km) three large horseshoe curves, number of tunnels and
viaducts are located. Before Čelebić (280 m asl, 72.9 km) station, the line crosses
Neretva; after the station it enters three tunnels: tunnel 57 (1573 m), tunnel 58
(1572 m) and 59 (1275 m). Tunnels Crnaja (1975 m) and Križ (1249 m) are
located between Ostrožac and Jablanica (196 m asl) stations. Between the
Jablanica Grad stop and Jablanica station, the line crosses Neretva again, starting
to run on the right (western) side of the river. South of Jablanica Grad, line runs
through the Grabovica (96.3 km), Drežnica (107 km), Raška Gora (116.8 km) and
Raštani (125.8 km) stations. Generally, the line follows the alignment of the old
narrow gauge line, but on the higher elevation, as Neretva river was enlarged by
accumulation lakes feeding the power stations. The Jedrenje tunnel (3229 m), is
located between Drežnica and Raška Gora. South of Raštani, the line crosses
Neretva again, avoiding old Mostar city centre (where 760 mm station was
located).
Both stations in Mostar - Mostar (passenger station, 128.8 km) and Mostar
teretna (freight yard, 133.5 km) are located on the eastern side of Neretva river.
Mostar itself is the fifth-largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical
capital of Herzegovina. Mostar, developed in the 15th and 16th centuries as an
Ottoman frontier town and during the Austro-Hungarian period in the 19th and
20th centuries. Mostar has long been known for its old Turkish houses and Old
Bridge, Stari Most, after which it is named. The Old Bridge was destroyed during
the Bosnian civil war, but was superbly rebuilt. South of Mostar teretna, the line
crosses Neretva again, continuing to Ploče on the western side of the river.
Stations Bačevići (139.3 km), Žitomislići (148.3 km) and Šurmanci (155.6 km)
are located between Mostar and border station of Čapljina (163.1 km). Croatian
part of the linem from the border to Ploče is 22.7 km long.
The line was damaged during the Bosnia war, and still today, almost 30 years
after the end of the conflict, 9 of 24 stations on the Bosnian side, are not
protected by any signals! Additionally, for 3 stations financing for the signal
refurbishment was secured, but stations are still without any protection
equipment.
Although the line was busy before the dissolution of Yugoslavia; today two pairs
of passenger trains runs between Sarajevo and Čapljina, both operated by ŽFBH
441 electrics and Talgo rakes, and numbered 720 - 723. Trains 722/723 are
extended to Ploče during summer season weekends and are numbered
1390/1391. Trains needs 2:25 from Sarajevo to Čapljina, and 3:21 from Sarajevo
to Ploče. In Sarajevo area, 6 pairs of stopping services runs from Sarajevo to
Pazarić. On an average day, 6 pairs of freights runs from Sarajevo to Ploče and
vice versa. From Sarajevo to Čapljina, trains are hauled by the ŽFBH 441 electrics
and from Čapljina to Ploče by HŽPP 1141s, which are rented to ENNa Transport,
as both HŽPP and HŽ Cargo are not active on this line. Freight trains need 4:30
from Sarajevo to Čapljina, and an additional hour to Ploče. From Ploče to Mostar,
freights are on average 1800 tonnes, but on Bradina ramps, maximum load is
800 tonnes.
By Toma Bacic
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