Croatia BEMU tender plans have advanced, with HŽ Putnički Prijevoz (HŽPP) opening procurement for six BEMUs and a hybrid charging station for traction batteries. The project is aimed at passenger services on parts of Croatia’s rail network where battery operation can support cleaner mobility.

Croatia BEMU tender puts batteries on rail
Croatia BEMU tender puts batteries on rail

Bids are due by 2 June 2026, with the tender opening set for the same day, according to the EU TED notice. HŽPP will then move into the evaluation stage for the contract.

Croatia BEMU tender includes trains and charging infrastructure

The contract is estimated at EUR 53.6 million, excluding VAT. Its implementation period is set at 30 months from 1 October 2026. Under the tender, the trains are to be delivered to Zagreb Central Station, while the charging infrastructure will be installed at Kotoriba station.

Part of the project funding will come through the European Union Modernisation Fund, which the European Investment Bank describes as an EU programme supporting energy-system modernisation and energy efficiency in beneficiary countries, including Croatia. For HŽPP, the procurement is linked to reducing the environmental impact of passenger rail by using green technologies. The tender documents also require the trains and the charging station to meet applicable technical and interoperability standards in Croatia and across the European Union.

The contract will be awarded to the most economically advantageous offer through a points-based assessment. Price carries 65 points and is the main criterion. The warranty period is worth 15 points, while functional coupling capability with HŽPP’s existing new-generation rolling stock also carries 15 points. A steel carbody structure for the trains accounts for the remaining 5 points.

Compatibility with HŽPP rolling stock is a key factor

For the Croatian operator, compatibility with the current fleet remains especially important. HŽPP wants the new BEMUs to operate in multiple-unit formation with existing new-generation rolling stock, a requirement intended to help reduce operating costs over the vehicles’ full lifecycle.

The six BEMUs are planned for urban, suburban and regional operation on non-electrified railway lines. Their deployment will cover the Krapina-Zagorje, Varaždin, Koprivnica-Križevci and Međimurje regions. Most operations will be centred on the Varaždin regional unit, while the trains will also connect with other stations across Croatia’s railway network.

At Kotoriba station, the hybrid charging station will combine power from the grid with electricity from a dedicated photovoltaic system and a stationary battery energy storage system. Renewable electricity produced on site will mainly charge the stationary storage system first, before being used to charge train batteries.

Battery trains support Croatia’s regional rail plans

HŽPP expects the battery trains to reduce CO₂ emissions and improve energy efficiency. The units will use battery power charged either from electrified overhead sections or from the Kotoriba charging station. Energy recovered during braking will also be used in train operation.

The Croatia BEMU tender comes alongside other rolling stock projects already moving forward in the country. In July 2025, HŽPP and Končar Electric Vehicles signed a EUR 118 million contract for 13 hybrid trains, covering both battery-electric and diesel-electric units. Those trains are expected to enter service from 2027.

In March, HŽPP also presented the design of a diesel-electric train scheduled for delivery in July. That unit is planned for operation on the Zagreb–Split route, as previously covered by Railway Supply.