The Spatial Planning and Urbanism Agency has announced public insight into the draft Spatial Plan for the Special Purpose Area for the infrastructure corridor of the Stalać-Kraljevo railway line, including the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment Report. The plan aims to modernize the single-track railway, designed for passenger and freight transport, allowing speeds of up to 120 km/h along a 72 km section. The plan covers parts of the municipalities of Ćićevac, Kruševac, Trstenik, Vrnjačka Banja and Kraljevo, with specific cadastral municipalities outlined in the document.
Currently, the Stalać-Kraljevo section is a non-electrified single-track line with speeds limited to 30 km/h between Stalać and Kruševac, and 25 km/h between Kruševac and Kraljevo due to prolonged exploitation. The track has several safety-related speed restrictions, and the existing bridges are outdated, with some dating back to 1910.
The modernization project includes upgrading the railway for mixed traffic, with a speed limit of 120 km/h. The length of the modernized section will be 71.37 km, with an additional 2 km section connecting Kraljevo and Rudnica. The infrastructure improvements will also involve the rehabilitation or replacement of bridges and the redesign of 17 existing service stations, four of which will become interchanges, and one a stop. Of the existing 66 pedestrian crossings, 42 will be removed for safety reasons.
Passenger transport will include regional express and local trains, with a planned eight pairs of express trains and 11 pairs of regional trains daily. Freight transport will consist of two pairs of direct trains per day.
The plan also includes the reconstruction of various stations and platforms, with new or upgraded facilities at key locations along the route. The public consultation period will run until January 23, 2025.
This project aligns with previous plans for the modernization of the Stalać-Kraljevo-Rudnica railway, as announced by former Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, Goran Vesić, in late 2022, which allocated funds for the renovation of 150 kilometers of track.