Infrastruct

This proposal is complementary to the proposed high-speed line Koprivinca – Pécs, which would create a Zagreb – Pécs high-speed line (HSL). Near Pécs, it would also share some track, with a possible HSL to Budapest (via Szekszárd).

Pécs, with a population of 157 000, is the only large city between Budapest and the Drava River, and the largest city of Southern Transdanubia, with nearly one million inhabitants. The city is located at the foot of the Mecsek range (the vertical axis is exaggerated on the images). Pécs station lies 1500 m south of the historic city (Belváros). It is a through station on an east-west line, but the line on each side is very different.

Pécs, the red dot is the station

The line from the west, Hungarian rail line line 60, is level and almost straight. Trains from Budapest enter Pécs over this line: they join it at Szentlőrinc, after going around the Mecsek hills. The line eastwards is the Pécs – Bátaszék rail line, line 64. This is a winding line along the foot of the Mecsek hills, with a maximum speed of 40 km/h. It is in use for the 18 km to Pécsvárad (average speed 20 km/h) – the rest has been abandoned.

About 2 km east of Pécs Station, line 65 to Villány and Mohács splits off from line 64. It runs generally south-east to Villány. The area is characterised by parallel valleys, cut by streams off the Mecsek range. The higher ground between the valleys is fairly level, at around 200 m altitude. Villány itself is at the eastern tip of the Villány Hills.

Villany at the tip of the ridge: the rail line curves around the town

South of this east-west range, lies the flat plain of the Drava, at about 100 m altitude. From Villány, line 66 continues across the plain to the border, and then as Croatian line M301 to Osijek. This line is supposedly part of Pan-European Corridor Vc, but in practice the corridor consists of roads only.

The HSL to the Drava would run approximately parallel to the existing lines. It can be split into three distinct sections:

• a new eastern exit from Pécs, which would also be used by a new line to Szekszárd
• a new line south-east to Villány, and
• a HSL across the plains, to a new Drava crossing (bridge or tunnel).

Villány is a logical interchange point for regional services, including the partially closed Barcs – Villány line (line 62, 101 km) and the 24-km branch to Mohács. That justifies a new station there, even if the population (under 3000) does not. Its location would be determined by – rather than along the curving valley floors, like the existing line. The new line would need to climb about 50-60 m, just east of Pécs.

Pécs Station is at around 120 m altitude, the junction of lines 64 and 65 about 140 m. The new line could follow the existing Villány line for about 2 km. To reach the ‘plateau’ visible on the image, a tunnel of about 2500 m is then needed (red-white line). From there, the line could run almost straight across the plateau, which falls to about 130 m near Villány. The alignment would rejoin line 65, about 3 km west of Villány station. In that case, the station would stay where it is. A more eastern route is slightly shorter, but can not pass through the existing station. Both are shown below.

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If the eastern route is chosen, the station can be relocated to the eastern side of the town (shown in red below). It is just as clode to the town, but the branch to Mohács would need a new curve, and Pécs – Mohács trains would need to reverse. The western option must avoid the sharp curve after the station, the new line could also by-pass Magyarbóly. In both cases, interchange with line 62 is possible: it runs along the southern edge of the Villány Hills, and then curves around Villány into the station.

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Either at Villány or Magyarbóly, the new line will join the existing alignment. With the exception of the curves at Beli Manastir and Drada, it is suitable for a high-speed line to the Drava. (North is at the left on the image). Beli Manastir (population 12 000) could be served by inter-regional fast trains.

The line would now cross the Drava River into Osijek. How that should be done depends on the alignment in the city itself. Osijek is a city of 115 000 inhabitants. It spreads for more than 10 km, along the south bank of the Drava. The rail line is also aligned parallel to the river. This is Croatian regional line R202, the line along the Drava plain. It is joined west of the station by local line L209 from Vinkovci, and regional line M302 from Djakovo. North-south trains cross the Drava bridge, turn west into the station, and then south. The HSL could use that option, with a new bridge. A north-south tunnel under the existing station is also an option (shown in red, schematic).

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The shortest alternative is a new bridge, followed new station (probably on viaduct) at the crossing of Vukovarska and Kralja Petra Svacica. It would continue as a new line due south along the Kralja Petra Svacica, partly in cut-and-cover tunnel. This would transform the local environment, even if demolition was limited. The main station would be moved 1500 m east. (Satellite imagery may be out of date due to local construction, but the options shown follow major axes, which are unlikely to change).

In all cases, the line would then follow a straight line to Vinkovci – about 30 km across flat open countryside. It would enter the station there, by a north-to-east curve. The variant shown below is the shortest, through a relocated Osijek Station: others would be slightly longer.

At Vinkovci, the line would connect with the proposed Drava plain high-speed line to Beograd (Belgrade). That in turn would connect to the proposed high-speed line from Vienna (Wien) to Nagykanisza. It would also connect with the main line from Zagreb through Slavonia, a possible new HSL to Novi Sad via Vukovar, the line to Tuzla via Brcko, and a re-routed line to Sarajevo via Doboj.

The section Pécs – Villány would be about 32-35 km long, from there to the Drava bridge/tunnel about 43 km, and then about 32-35 km to Vinkovci. Total length would be about 110 km. A train stopping only at Osijek should take about 40 minutes, with two other stops (Villány and Beli Manastir) about 50 minutes. Pécs – Vinkovci is the logical pattern of service, but the line could also carry a Pécs – Beograd service.

This high-speed line (HSL) would connect the proposed Drava plain high-speed line to Pécs. It would be used by services to Pécs from Ljubljana, Maribor, and Zagreb. With a possible HSL between Budapest and Pécs, it would form an alternative Budapest – Zagreb route. Pécs, with a population of 157 000, is the only large city between Budapest and Slavonia. The line along the Podravina (Drava plain) would start from a junction just north of Koprivnica. The high-speed line from Vienna (Wien) via Nagykanizsa would split. A HSL to Zagreb would use the existing north-south alignment through Koprivnica. The HSL to Beograd (Belgrade) would by-pass the town. Trains from Zagreb to Pécs would pass through Koprivnica, and then connect to the Beograd line. At Koprivnica, a high-speed inter-regional line from Maribor would also connect to the route proposed here.

Approaching Pitomača, 40 km east of Koprivnica, the new line would be built beside the existing Croatian line R202). From Pitomača, a 15-km connection would diverge from the Beograd HSL, and cross the Drava River to Barcs.

Possible routes across the Drava

Barcs itself is a small town (population 12 000), but it could be served by fast inter-regional services. The new line would enter Barcs from the west, along the existing alignment of Hungarian rail line line 60. Barcs station is on the south side of the town, almost on the river. The station area has more than enough room for additional infrastructure (see the station image gallery). There is a road bridge at Barcs, one of the few over the Drava. From the bridge, a new by-pass alongside the rail line avoids the town.

Barcs station, between town and Drava

From Barcs, the existing rail line to Pécs is about 65 km long. It is almost entirely straight, and it can probably be upgraded for over 200 km/h – only the curve at Szentlőrinc needs to be re-aligned. Three tracks would be needed, to separate local and freight trains. From Szentlőrinc, where line 40 from Budapest joins the line, four tracks would be needed. One more town might be served by interregional fast trains: Szigetvar (population 11 000), about half-way between Barcs and Pécs.

Szigetvar

The city of Pécs is located at the foot of the Mecsek range (the vertical axis is exaggerated on the image). The rail line runs east-west, south of the historic city. Most of the urban area lies north of the rail line, but the station is within 1500 m of the historic centre (Belváros). The old map, from an 1890s encyclopedia, shows the station built on more level ground, south of the city as it then was.

Pécs, the red dot is the station

Pécs station also has more than enough room for expansion. Although it is a through station, the service pattern is assymetric. The main line from Budapest diverts around the Mecsek hills, and enter Pécs from the ‘wrong side’. The assymetry (and the longer journey time) can only be corrected by construction of a new line to Budapest, via Szekszárd. Such a line could be extended via Baja toward Subotica and Szeged, partly on former rail alignments.

The approximate length of the sections is: 90 km Zagreb to Koprivnica, 55 km from Koprivnica to Barcs, and 65 km from there to Pécs, a total of around 210 km. Assuming a high-speed line to Koprivnica, and a single stop there, Zagreb – Pécs journey time should be under 90 minutes.

Het voorstel hier volgt het model van de eerdere voorstellen voor tramlijnen in Den Bosch en in Leiden. Van een enkele stamlijn in de binnenstad, zouden een aantal radiale lijnen aftakken. Het Dordtse tramnet zou niet de omvang krijgen van die in Leiden. Dordrecht maakt wel del uit van een agglomeratie (Drechtsteden), maar de stad zelf is een duidelijk afgebakende gemeente, op een eiland. Het heeft een bevolking van 118 000. De hier voorgestelde tramlijnen bedienen de stad zelf, met uitzondering van een lijn naar Sliedrecht.

De binnenstad van Dordrecht

De stamlijn is ook eenvoudiger: over de weg langs het station. Het zou niet door de binnenstad lopen, want het stratenpatroon laat dat niet toe. Voorwaarde voor de lijnen naar het zuiden is een tunnel onder de spoorlijn, ten westen van het station, naar het van Baerleplantsoen. De stamlijn loopt vandaar over de Burg. de Raadtsingel en de Toulonselaan, naar het Sumatraplein.

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Bij de tunnel begint een lijn naar Wielwijk, dat de route van buslijn 4 volgt: eerst over de Hugo de Grootlaan en de Viottakade, en langs het Marisplein. Bij het Marisplein loopt de lijn aan de voet van de oude zeedijk (Zuidendijk), maar er is voldoende ruimte. Het gaat verder door de wijk Wielwijk, over de Karel Doormanweg en de Trompweg – langs het winkelcentrum, dat herontwikkeld wordt. Deze lijn zou eindigen bij het ziekenhuis: het is, gemeten vanaf het station, 4 km lang.

De tweede lijn naar het zuiden (naar Sterrenburg) zou ook bij de tunnel beginnen. Het loopt langs het Weizigtpark, over de Krispijnseweg, richting Station Dordrecht-Zuid. Dit is de huidige route van buslijn 5: het station wordt overigens naar het noorden verplaatst. Na het station verlaat buslijn 5 de hoofdweg, Galileilaan: de tram zou deze volgen door de wijk Sterrenburg, tot een eindpunt aan het Lunenburgplein. De wijk is ruim opgezet, het enige knelpunt op dit tracé ligt bij de brug over de Copernicusweg, dat in de huidige vorm ongeschikt is voor een tram. Het winkelcentrum hier moet een noordelijk ingang krijgen (het is sowieso aan een volledige verbouwing toe). Deze lijn is, vanaf het station, 5 km lang.

Een lijn richting zuidoost zou van de Sterrenburg-lijn aftakken, aan de hoek van het Weizigtpark. Het draait naar links de Mauritsweg op, dan naar rechts over de Nassauweg. Deze is duidelijk ooit bedacht als invalsweg, en is heel breed uitgevoerd. Aan de rand van de wijk sluit het aan op de Laan der Verenigde Naties / Overkampweg. Deze brede weg kruist eerst de spoorlijn naar Breda: hier komt het verplaatste station, Dordrecht Leerpark. De tram gaat onder de Rondweg (N3), en langs het ziekenhuis. De tramlijn zou naar het noorden draaien, met een klein stuk door Park Overkamp afsnijden, naar de burg. Jaslaan. het draait dan naar rechts, naar de Dubbelsteynlaan West. De tramlijn volgt deze weg door de wijk Dubbeldam, langs de winkels op het Damplein, en over de Rechte Zandweg naar de Provincialeweg. Vandaar zou het, via de Vissersdijk Beneden, het station Dordrecht Stadspolders bereiken (op de lijn naar Gorinchem). Hiervoor is een doorbraak nodig (in rood op de detailkaart). Deze snijdt ook een oude dijk (Noordendijk): zulke oude zeedijken zijn kenmerkend voor de Zuid-Hollandse en Zeeuwse eilanden. Deze lijn is 6 km lang.

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Aan de andere kant van de stamlijn, begint bij het Sumatraplein een lijn richting oosten. Deze volgt de route van buslijn 5 over de Reeweg, en over de Provincialeweg, dat een oud wegtracé volgt (Reeweg / Haaswijkweg). Bij het Halmaheiraplein kruist de tram de spoorlijn naar Gorinchem: dat moet ongelijkvloers worden. Een station hier zou ook logisch zijn. Mogelijk kan de spoorlijn vanaf hier tot Station Dordrecht in tunnel, want het vormt duidelijk een barrière.

Mogelijke ondertunneling tot Halmaheiraplein

De tram gaat verder over de Provincialeweg. Bij het Regiobureau van de politie kruist het de lijn door Dubbeldam. Buslijn 5 verlaat daarna de Provincialeweg, en gaat de wijk Stadspolders binnen. De tramlijn gaat rechtdoor, naar een eindpunt bij De Hoven, een nieuwe uitbreiding van deze wijk. De tram kan moeilijk de hele wijk Stadspolders bedienen: de ontsluiting, met een ringweg binnen de bebouwing, is op een buslijn bedacht. Deze lijn is 5,5 km lang.

De vijfde lijn zou vanaf het Sumatraplein rechtdoor lopen, over de Oranjelaan, langs de 19e-eeuwse en vroeg-20e-eeuwse wijken. Het kruist de Wantij, en gaat verder over de Merwedestraat, de route van buslijn 4. Dit gebied hoort tot een langgerekt eiland tussen de Beneden Merwede, Wantij en Nieuwe Merwede. Aan de noordkant van de weg ligt industrie, aan de zuidkant twee woonwijken. De lijn gaat verder over de Baanhoekweg, langs de geïsoleerde wijk Merwedepolder. Na de laatste industrie, kruist de spoorlijn naar Gorinchem het eiland. Hier ligt het eindpunt van buslijn 4: ten oosten daarvan is het eiland bijna onbebouwd. Tot aan de spoorlijn is de lijn 6 km lang.

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Doortrekking naar Sliedrecht is een logische optie voor deze lijn. Een tramtunnel lijkt de enige mogelijkheid, omdat een brug te vaak open zou gaan voor de scheepvaart. In Sliedrecht zou de lijn de hoofdstraat volgen, en eindigen bij Station Sliedrecht (blauw aangegeven). De hele lijn zou dan ongeveer 10 km lang worden. Als de tram over de hoofdstraat doorloopt naar een eindpunt in Oost-Sliedrecht (stippellijn), dan vervalt de overstap op de trein richting Gorinchem.

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Een nadeel van de stamlijn is dat het niet door de oude binnenstad loopt. Als alternatief zou een rechthoekige lus, via de Spuiweg en Spuiboulevard, de tram tenminste tot de rand van de binnenstad brengen. Dit is de route van de meeste buslijnen. In dat geval kunnen de trams misschien de bestaande onderdoorgang (in het verlengde van de Spuiweg) gebruiken. Een onderdoorgang Erasmuslaan – Hoge Bakstraat is ook denkbaar: deze zou door de Wielwijk-lijn gebruikt worden.

De vijf takken en de stamlijn worden door drie tramlijnen bediend. In welke combinatie, wordt hier niet besproken – dat hangt af van de vervoersstromen. In elk geval is het niet zinnig dat een lijn zichzelf kruist (tak 3 met tak 4): één van de lijnen zal een eindpunt krijgen bij het station, of bijvoorbeeld op de Oranjelaan, of bij het Halmaheiraplein.

See the first half of this post, for the high-speed line from Vienna (Wien) to Nagykanizsa, via Szombathely and Zalaegerszeg. This second half describes the section through the Podravina (Drava plain), and on to Beograd (Belgrade).

The new high-speed line south of Nagykanizsa would follow the existing line 60 to Murakeresztúr, near the crossing of the Mura River. Here it would turn onto a completely new alignment, and then cross the Mura and the Drava River. It would then run south to Koprivnica, population 26 000, capital of Koprivnica-Križevci County (124 000). Just north of the town, the line would split. The HSL to Zagreb would serve Koprivnica, using the north-south alignment through the town. (This is part of the main route to Zagreb, Croatian line M201). Koprivnica is also served by a local line from Varaždin. This could be fully upgraded (with a cut-off line near Varaždin), to allow a fast inter-regional service on the axis Graz – Maribor – Ptuj – Koprivnica – Osijek.

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The Belgrade HSL would turn south-east near Koprivnica, to begin a long and relatively straight section along the Drava plain – Podravina. It would run parallel to the existing main road (Croatian National Highway 2) and the regional rail line (line R202), as far as Našice. Both the road and the railway run at the foot of the Bilo Gora hills, which parallel the Drava. In places, the HSL would run north of the existing line, but possibly alongside it on straight sections (for instance into Pitomača). From near Pitomača, a 15-km connection is possible across the Drava to Barcs, connecting with Hungarian line 60 to Pécs (population 157 000). With upgrading of the Barcs – Pécs line, this would form a HSL Zagreb – Pécs.

HSL Nagykanizsa to Virovitica

Possible routes across the Drava to Barcs

The route along the Podravina to Našice is about 150 km long, with no large towns. There would be a station about half-way, at Virovitica (population 23 000, capital of Virovitica-Podravina county, population 93 000), and possibly at the small town of Našice itself, population 8 000. Virovitica would be the interchange point for the parallel regional line, and for a local service from Bjelovar via Kloštar (across the Bilo Gora, line L204).

Use of the existing alignment, for an interchange station at Virovitica

The existing regional line would be upgraded: east of Našice it continues to Osijek (population 115 000), the regional centre of Slavonia. From Našice, the HSL would run on a completely new alignment of about 35 km, to Djakovo (population 21 000). The Virovitica – Djakovo section would be 100-105 km long.

South of Djakovo, the line would then turn to the east, to reach the existing alignment of the main Zagreb – Beograd line. This is now Croatian line M105, but it was also the ‘main line’ of former Yugoslavia (and a former route of the Orient Express).

Parallel to this line, probably directly alongside it, the new HSL would reach the railway junction of Vinkovci, population 33 000. This section of the HSL would be short, about 33 km long. At Vinkovci, there would be interchange with lines in six directions. That could include a new HSL to Pécs via Osijek, and a possible new HSL to Novi Sad, via Vukovar. The line from Sarajevo via Doboj and Šamac, could also be re-routed directly to Vinkovci (at present it joins line M105 line at Vrpolje). In combination with the Pécs line, that would re-route Pan-European Corridor Vc through Vinkovci.

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East of Vinkovci, the HSL would first follow the main rail line, with a station at Sremska Mitrovica (population 39 000, the capital of Srem or Syrmia, population 335 000). East of this town, it would run next to the motorway A1/E70: this alignment is shorter than the rail line via Stara Pazova. From Vinkovci to Sremska Mitrovica is 75 km, and from there to Beograd about 72-75 km.

On the outskirts of the city, the line would rejoin the existing alignment, with a short tunnel under a hill between motorway and rail line. It would then cross the Sava River into Beograd Centar (Prokop) Station, the ‘new’ central station. (It has been under construction since 1971). With a population of 1 600 000,
Beograd is the largest city between Budapest and Athens / Istanbul. It is a logical terminus for HSL services originating in Vienna, with onward connections to the south and south-east.

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The section Wien – Sopron is about 63 km long: then (approximately) Sopron – Szombathely 52 km, Szombathely to Zalaegerszeg 55 km, Zalaegerszeg – Nagykanizsa 50 km, Nagykanizsa – Virovitica 95 km, Virovitica – Djakovo 105 km, Djakovo – Vinkovci 33 km, Vinkovci – Sremska Mitrovica, 75 km, and from there to Beograd 75 km. The total length of the new line would be around 600 km. The fastest trains, stopping only in Nagykanizsa, would certainly take less than 4 hours. In fact, a completely new high-speed line, half of it on on level plains, with a maximum speed of 330 km/h, should allow a journey of under 3 h 30 min.