Croatia’s national passenger operator, HŽ Putnički Prijevoz (HŽPP), has entered into new agreements to enhance its electric train fleet. On July 16, HŽPP signed contracts worth €53.6 million for six additional Končar battery-electric multiple-units (BEMUs) and the construction of a charging station at Kotoriba, according to railwaygazette.com.

With these new acquisitions, HŽPP’s total order for Končar BEMUs now stands at 11 trainsets. The initial order for a prototype BEMU was placed in December 2022 under the ‘Application of Green Technologies in Railway Passenger Transport’ project, funded by Croatia’s National Recovery & Resilience Plan. This project encompassed a prototype battery-only train and the construction of six charging stations in various cities across Croatia.

In June 2025, HŽPP placed a further order for four production BEMUs as part of a €117.9 million contract. This contract also included five electro-diesel trainsets, four battery-only trainsets, and charging stations at Lupoglav and Velika. The delivery of these units is scheduled for 2027-28.

The three-car low-floor BEMUs, set to be 56.2 meters long with an axleload of 18 tonnes, will accommodate 157 seated passengers and provide space for 158 standing passengers. Each trainset will feature CCTV, wheelchair ramps, accessible toilets, and bicycle storage spaces. Powered by 12 Leclanché INT-53 modular lithium-ion battery packs with a combined nominal capacity of 631 kWh, the BEMUs can be charged either from the 25 kV 50 Hz overhead electrification or at dedicated charging stations. They are designed to operate up to 18 hours a day and cover 480 km, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h when drawing power from the overhead electrification and 120 km/h in battery mode.

In related news, Končar has initiated test runs with the first Class 7024 electro-diesel multiple-unit. HŽPP has ordered a total of 11 electro-diesel units, with the first six units expected to be delivered by the end of 2026. These units are intended to replace the current tilting diesel trainsets operating between Zagreb and Split. Although the new electro-diesel units do not have a tilting mechanism, which could potentially increase travel times on the winding route, neither HŽPP nor Končar have publicly disclosed the expected end-to-end journey times. Končar plans to showcase unit 7024 002 at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin.