SLOVENIA: A European Union audit found no ineligible costs or procurement irregularities in the Divača–Koper rail project, while 2TDK says investment costs will stay below EUR 1.15 billion.

Divača–Koper Audit Finds No Irregularities
Divača–Koper Audit Finds No Irregularities

CINEA found no ineligible costs

Slovenia’s state-owned project company 2TDK reported on 7 July that the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency had completed its audit for the 2022–2023 period. The review found no costs that were ineligible for EU funding, no irregularities in public procurement and no other findings requiring financial corrections or recommendations.

The audit covered expenditure under the 2016 Connecting Europe Facility agreement. That package co-finances studies, design work, access roads, structures across the Glinščica Valley and relocation of the existing railway in Divača. Auditors also examined internal controls and compliance with the grant agreement.

2TDK said the result followed earlier checks that also produced no findings, including a European Court of Auditors review completed in March 2026, an audit by Slovenia’s Budget Supervision Office and the 2017 CEF audit.

Don’t miss…Chicago Holds 71st Street Grade Separation Ceremony

Budget claim contrasts with EU megaproject overruns

The audit result is separate from 2TDK’s claim that the project remains within the financial framework approved in 2019. The company expects investment costs to remain below EUR 1.15 billion, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, supply-chain disruption, labour shortages, higher material and energy prices, and difficult geology.

That performance differs from the eight cross-border transport projects examined in the European Court of Auditors’ Special Report 02/2026. Their estimated costs were 82% above original estimates on average, while five projects had delays ranging from four to 22 years. The sample covered Rail Baltica, Lyon–Turin, the Brenner Base Tunnel, the Fehmarn Belt link, Basque Y, Canal Seine Nord Europe, Romania’s A1 motorway and Poland’s E59 railway.

Operating authorisation remains the next step

The 27.1-km single-track line includes seven tunnels with a combined length of 20.5 km and three viaducts. It is designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h, with 3 kV DC electrification and ERTMS traffic management.

The first test train ran over the new line on 11 March 2026. 2TDK submitted its application for an operating permit on 27 May, beginning checks of completed works, geotechnical measures, safety systems, and environmental and technical compliance.

The CINEA finding therefore closes a financial-compliance review, but it does not replace the separate authorisation process required before the new infrastructure can be fully integrated into Slovenia’s rail system.

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

Don’t miss…2026 APTA Awards Honor Automated Rail and Hydrogen Train