Post AyKl9MPFltpXhAdYi8 by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
(DIR) More posts by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
(DIR) Post #AyKl96ja2YaD5a1ZAm by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T04:14:19Z
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They say you can't take a train from Zagreb to Serbia. Let's see if I can still do it 🤓
(DIR) Post #AyKl97zvLHFb0Yg8Ho by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:27:33Z
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Quick refresh for folks. Passenger train connections between Zagreb and Belgrade were "temporarily" cancelled in the early pandemic era and they were never restored. To my knowledge, there's never been any explanation as to why. The railroad is fully functional and sees lots of freight traffic.
(DIR) Post #AyKl99MeGH1RFKJnLU by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:28:11Z
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Rail connections were interrupted in the 1990s due to war, but they were restored relatively quickly. I'm still looking for the exact confirmation, but it's likely the trains ran by the end of 1998 and the successful completion of UNTAES, which peacefully reintegrated Eastern Slavonia into Croatiahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Transitional_Administration_for_Eastern_Slavonia,_Baranja_and_Western_Sirmium
(DIR) Post #AyKl9APAOOdATQVJuS by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:28:48Z
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In the 2000s, trains run on this line without issues. In the year 2000, 4 daily pairs connected Zagreb and Belgrade, including the night train from Ljubljana and a day train from Villach.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9BEZJHkP2qYN1s by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:29:29Z
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This is around the time I started taking this train, in the late 2000s. I don't mean to be overly sentimental, but this train helped me make friends in Belgrade for the first time. In those formative years, the train helped me become the person I am today.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9BlBM1pqfzoPrc by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:30:07Z
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I really don't want to be unnecessarily sentimental and make it sound like things were perfect 15 years ago. They weren't! This train was slow, infamously taking an hour longer on its westbound journey due to the poor state of the westbound track in Serbia. But the train ran, and that's important.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9CLLBal6U8jIDw by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:30:17Z
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The last time I traveled on this line was in 2013. My subsequent trips to Belgrade were all by plane due to the limited time I had when visiting Europe. But the train seemed like such a solid, permanent thing that I couldn't imagine it going away completely.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9CqXJbiE2tKCqe by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:30:40Z
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The first shock came in 2015 when the line was temporarily closed due to the refugee "crisis". After thousands of folks on the move traveled on this line into the European Union believing the promise they would find safety and refuge, the borders were suddenly shut.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34286432
(DIR) Post #AyKl9DS73tlnvQuDQ0 by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:30:54Z
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But when the trains actually stopped running in 2020, nobody noticed because the whole world stopped. When we started moving again, it took a while to notice that this crucial connection did not come back. Since then, empty platitudes and no solid explanations why you can't travel by train anymore.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9E2GtSh3jZp5mK by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:31:10Z
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Of course, there's nasty politics underlying here, but that won't be the focus of today's journey. Today I'll travel across this disconnected line and document both the condition of this line, and hopefully I'll be able to overcome the unnecessary obstacles.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9EkwDOQFy6ilOq by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:33:22Z
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To make today's trip possible, we'll be doing another "train to another train to bike to another train and yet to another train" run. Our destination is Novi Sad where I'm giving a talk at BalCCon about... Taking trains in the Balkans 🤓https://cfp.balccon.org/balccon2k25-2025/schedule/
(DIR) Post #AyKl9FM9z0CFpY8UPw by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:33:55Z
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I'm starting the trip on the ~express~ train to Vinkovci, a town close to the Croatia Serbia border. I'll have an early lunch there before taking a local train to Tovarnik (🇭🇷), a village at the actual border. Then comes the fun bit, biking the border itself before getting on a local train in Šid (🇷🇸)
(DIR) Post #AyKl9GCcpwAESGgOC8 by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:34:08Z
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From there it's another local train to Stara Pazova, a famous railway junction, where I'll catch a train to Novi Sad on the recently renovated line. Due to the tragic station canopy collapse at Novi Sad station, I'll get off at Petrovaradin and bike the remaining distance into Novi Sad.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9GyTy0Reqh4bmy by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:35:50Z
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Train B 741 to Vinkovci departed on time at 6:16am. The ride through Zagreb and its eastern suburbs is uneventful except for ongoing construction which will hopefully wrap up soon and significantly improve rail experience all the way to the Hungarian border
(DIR) Post #AyKl9Hll0nrPJW7xaq by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:36:31Z
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The line splits at Dugo Selo. The northbound tracks have been double tracked recently. The eastbound track takes us to the arguably worst bit of main line track in Croatia - Dugo Selo to Novska. The only single track portion of the Belgrade - Zagreb line, with decades worth of deferred maintenance
(DIR) Post #AyKl9IddmSxi0dKza4 by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:36:55Z
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This track has been waiting for double tracking and rehabilitation for literal decades. The bids for the long overdue 620 million € project were received in July and work will hopefully start some time in the future, but it will take years until the 83km of this horrible track is finally upgraded.https://op.europa.eu/en/web/public-procurement/procurement-details/-/procurement/c5ddcaab-229b-4083-b3e0-35589c798711
(DIR) Post #AyKl9JMf54yUGGOwkq by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:37:30Z
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In preparation for this project, the Sunja to Novska line is getting partially renovated, since some traffic will have to take the Zagreb - Sisak - Sunja - Novska railroad while works are ongoing
(DIR) Post #AyKl9K00imRyEIoN5U by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:38:41Z
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Since I know the poor condition of this section, I'm just enjoying the ride through the beautiful countryside. There's something uniquely beautiful about watching the sun rise from a train.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9KWykCozsYEhTU by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T06:39:17Z
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The train is comfortable. Combo of open plan and closed compartment carriages. It's clean and air-conditioned, outlets work. No dining car or WiFi, but this is a comfortable journey. The ticket to Tovarnik was 17.14€.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9L8CVoazjzeQUa by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T07:09:09Z
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Past Novska the line was renovated a decade ago and we reach decent speed.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9LeoYYgRN8uTKK by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T07:16:38Z
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Get yourself this state of repair on the whole line and you've got yourself a good railroad
(DIR) Post #AyKl9MPFltpXhAdYi8 by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T08:29:57Z
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We're getting close to Slavonski Brod and trying to shave off the ten minutes of delay we picked up ahead of Novska. I'm consulting my 1990/1991 timetable which tells me that the standard express service between Zagreb and Vinkovci used to be 3 hours and 20 minutes. Today we should do it in 4:30h
(DIR) Post #AyKl9N7Z79H9ubMwmO by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T08:30:13Z
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This is frustrating, but once you get Dugo Selo - Novska fixed, getting this under 3 hours is completely viable. More maintenance is needed on the rest of the line, but significantly smaller scope.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9NtmDtqAK7vRvU by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T08:30:25Z
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A tricky thing when comparing train speeds like this is accounting for difference in service. The A. G. Matoš express did not make a single stop between Zagreb and Belgrade. The train I'm on right now will make 13 (!) stops just to Vinkovci.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9OiTBQOErLdvwO by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T08:30:51Z
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Nonetheless, if you would allow me a moment of unfiltered honesty, can I just say fuck nationalism and war and every pathetic fascist asshole working overtime to do their own version of carnage that destroyed this country 35 years ago.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9PYE4zn3RrrGc4 by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T08:31:57Z
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With that out of the way, look at this wonderful skylight at Slavonski Brod station
(DIR) Post #AyKl9QKRBkM3rOPllA by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T09:21:44Z
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Welp, instead of making up the time on the section to Strizivojna-Vrpolje the train is inching forward because there seems to be some kind work going on 💀
(DIR) Post #AyKl9R4WQPDaAJyZai by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T09:22:18Z
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Strizivojna-Vrpolje!!
(DIR) Post #AyKl9Ygi6ovNmmtfaS by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T09:22:59Z
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Time for a break in Vinkovci. Delay was about 12 minutes. Not great, not terrible.
(DIR) Post #AyKl9g2wkXs2bmM1ia by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T13:38:55Z
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Vinkovci is a very cute town. There's a fall festival in the city center so lots of streets are closed to traffic. Folks are outside, the vibes are good. My first time visiting the Bosut river!
(DIR) Post #AyKl9nUr3BLziMSugq by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T13:42:09Z
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I was going to sit down for lunch, but instead I went to the city museum. Good choice! Vinkovci is an archeological bonanza, with continuous finds showing continuous habitation for over 8000 years!
(DIR) Post #AyKl9vGGBKQtnPhN3I by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T13:43:33Z
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They also have a model of the old train station 🤓
(DIR) Post #AyKlA2m4FT2F65dN6O by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T13:44:51Z
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This is what Vinkovci station looks like now. Pretty decently maintained for (the low) HŽPP standards
(DIR) Post #AyKlAAOFvsk2iYYT68 by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T13:46:16Z
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This used to be a much busier train junction than it is now, but there's still a decent amount of trains here (compared to some other places that used to be important but hardly get any trains now)
(DIR) Post #AyKlAI4hMTqoYDSxiy by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T13:47:01Z
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Time to make my way to Tovarnik. One of these Končar EMVs will take me there, making all local stops.
(DIR) Post #AyKlAPf79U8i5BYdxQ by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T13:48:24Z
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Lol the train makes it up to 160km/h on this track but it's completely wasted on this local service because the stops are so close to each other. This section was renovated "recently", meaning almost 15 years ago now. Per this dirty poster the monies came from ISPA 2005 funds before 🇭🇷 joined 🇪🇺
(DIR) Post #AyKlAXsAcpKvXzjBQ0 by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T13:49:47Z
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And here's Tovarnik - another border station with no cross border (passenger) traffic 🫠
(DIR) Post #AyKlAf2hy2vPmhiCJc by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T13:51:21Z
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And thus I embarked on the very uncomfortable 10 km ride to Šid across the border in Serbia.Tons of trucks use this crossing instead of the nearby motorway. I made it to Šid safely but I did not enjoy it. Trucks line the single lane road, leaving only one lane for two way traffic.
(DIR) Post #AyKlAnIFIA6hND2ie0 by mejs@mastodon.vladovince.com
2025-09-18T13:56:16Z
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It's my first time in Šid! It's bigger than I thought. Another cute town in the Pannonian plain