CROATIA: The European Investment Bank is assessing a €75 million loan to help Zagreb acquire 20 trams and about 100 electric buses between 2025 and 2030.

Blue Končar TMK 2400 tram inside Zagreb’s Remiza depot
A Končar TMK 2400 tram at Zagreb’s Remiza depot. Photo: City of Zagreb / Timy Šarec, CC BY 4.0; cropped and resized.

The EIB project summary, released on 23 July 2026, identifies city operator Zagrebački električni tramvaj (ZET) as the promoter and estimates the programme’s total cost at €184 million.

The proposed loan would therefore cover roughly 41% of the estimated investment. However, the financing remains under appraisal, so the amount, scope and loan terms are still indicative until the bank completes its assessment, approves the operation and signs an agreement.

EIB loan would finance 20 trams and about 100 buses

The programme covers 20 electric trams up to 34 metres long and approximately 100 battery-electric buses in three size classes: 9, 12 and 18 metres. The vehicles are intended for public transport services across the Zagreb metropolitan area and would replace buses and trams reaching the end of their service lives.

According to the bank, the investment is designed to make public transport more competitive and attractive while reducing dependence on private cars. The stated objectives include lower greenhouse-gas emissions, improved air quality, less noise, higher energy efficiency and better road safety.

The acquisition period runs from 2025 to 2030 and forms part of a wider fleet-modernisation programme supported by the City of Zagreb and EU co-financing. The EIB has not named suppliers for the vehicles covered by the proposed loan.

Don’t miss…HS2 Renegotiates Two Contracts Covering More Than 100km

Zagreb has already started renewing its fleet

The financing assessment follows several completed and contracted procurement stages. In December 2025, the city confirmed delivery of the first 20 Končar low-floor trams under a project worth about €49.8 million.

At the same time, agreements were signed for another 20 low-floor trams worth €55 million and 62 electric buses worth €56.75 million. Nearly €44 million of the tram package comes from the EU’s Competitiveness and Cohesion Programme, while more than €45 million for the buses is provided through Croatia’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The renewal continued in 2026. By early May, 24 new trams were operating and another 16 were expected, while the city also outlined plans for 20 longer low-floor trams. Zagreb said each longer vehicle should carry at least 180 passengers, and the first delivery would be required within 24 months of contract signature.

Approval remains the next step

The EIB operation is not yet an approved or signed loan. Its current significance is that the bank has published a defined financing scope for a programme combining tram renewal, electric-bus procurement and the replacement of life-expired vehicles.

If approved, the €75 million facility would add another financing layer to Zagreb’s wider public transport investment cycle. The next confirmed milestone will be an EIB financing decision; procurement and delivery schedules will remain subject to the relevant contracts.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…Metro Vancouver Board Could Shrink Nearly 25% Next Term