Slovak Railtrans International and Croatian HZ Cargo to Set Up Joint Venture

Bratislava/Zagreb, 8 August (TASR) - Croatian national railway operator HZ Cargo and Slovak private logistics operator Railtrans International (RTI) have signed a memorandum of cooperation and are setting up a joint venture to operate intermodal freight services between Croatian ports on the Adriatic Sea and Central Europe. According to RTI, the move will position Croatia as a key south-eastern gateway for European supply chains. The joint venture aims to transport 500,000 tonnes of new Adriatic freight by 2028. The implementation of the memorandum and setting up of the joint venture is yet to be approved at the annual general meeting of HZ Cargo. "RTI has always grown through partnerships in which both sides have retained their strengths while building together what neither could have achieved on its own. We're applying this successful model in our alliance with HZ Cargo as well," said Spisak, president of the AZC Group, which owns RTI. According to Spisak, the Adriatic is no longer merely a side entrance to Europe; it's becoming one of the continent's main transport arteries. "Croatian ports and their position on internationally recognised transport corridors provide all the prerequisites for HZ Cargo to become a regional leader. The alliance with RTI, which has long been HZ Cargo's largest customer, will only accelerate that ambition," he added. The alliance with RTI gives HZ Cargo direct access to international transport corridors, new customers and established operational standards. All of this would have taken years to build for the state-owned Croatian carrier, which has undergone successful restructuring and is profitable. In turn, RTI is gaining a partner with a stable network and a decades-long presence on the Balkan market. ko/df/mf