Croatian passenger rail operator HŽ – Putnički prijevoz (HŽ PP) is continuously upgrading its fleet of EMUs and DMUs. At the moment, new class 6112.3 EMUs are being outshopped, so we decided to research the current situation of the different subtypes and sub fleets, including a glimpse at ŽFBH, the railway company of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Končar, the Croatian rolling stock manufacturer, is building class 6112 EMUs and class 7023 DMUs for its domestic operator. They all have the same characteristic rounded design. Below you see the newest member of the family, class 6112.3 in red/white regional design:
The class 6112 EMU – 55x, not all alike
Croatian Railways Hrvatske željeznice operates the following subseries of the 6112:
- 17x 6112.0 for regional services built between 2011-2022; grey/white > red/white;
- 17x 6112.1 for suburban services built between 2011-2021; blue/white;
- 11x 6112.2 for suburban services built between 2022-2023; blue/white;
- 10x 6112.3 for regional services, construction started in 2023 (seven units delivered until December 2023); red/white;
When you look closely, the cabs of sub-series 2 and 3 are slightly different than the older models; Look at the curvature of the front, especially around the front window.
The regional units (4 doors per side) and the suburban units (8 doros per side) have different interior configurations. The livery of the two sub types changed over time. Prototype 6112 001 entered service in white, gray and a small red stripe, and the suburban prototype 6112 101 was white and blue (picture below).
Later on, it was decided to add the blue/red lines with circles at the ends:
The class 7023 DMUs – 12x
The first diesel trains was presented during Innotrans 2016. Since 2018, five units in total entered service. On 09.02.2022, Končar confirmed that it was to deliver another seven 7023 DMUs to HŽ PP. They are painted very similar to regional 6112 EMUs, in white and red, yet are easy to identify because the black on the sides has a different shape.
The first out of seven new units will be completed in the summer of 2024, and the plan is to deliver one new unit each month.
The future is called battery
In December 2022, HŽPP signed a contract with Končar Electric Vehicles for the supply of prototype battery-powered trains and six charging stations that will be installed at Split, Osijeck, Varaždin, Bjelovar, Virovitica and Pula. The contract is for one battery train (BMU) for non-electrified lines and one battery/electric (BEMU) unit that can run under catenary too.
On 14.04.2023, Končar selected Leclanché to supply the batteries for both prototype trains. They will be used around Varazdin, Osijek, Virovitica and Bjelovar, and potentially around Split and Pula.
Did you know? The single unit for ŽFBH
The Railways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina ŽFBH also received one DMU from Končar, with no indication of ordering additional units. Prototype 1412 001 was sent back to Končar in 2023 for a refresh. The livery was restored, and the interior was redecorated. For tests on Croatian tracks, the train received the provisional number 6112 501.
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