Representatives of Luka Koper, Slovenia’s main port, confirmed they had been informed by the Slovenian Railways (SŽ) on Friday that traffic would be stopped temporarily due to track overcrowding. “This is already the second such measure this month. What is more, problems in the Slovenian railway network have intensified since last November. First and foremost, this means long delays for work in the port, and lately there have also been problems with delivery of wagons,” explains Luka Koper. The main issue is the most weighed down section of Slovenian railways, i.e. the monorail track between the port and Divača.

Re-directing into other ports
Therefore, 400 wagons failed to arrive to Luka Koper on time, although they had been planned. This amounts to approximately 20 trains, the highest daily number since November, when the Slovenian Railways had begun stopping the traffic. The only Slovenian international cargo port is already facing consequences, since cargo is being re-directed into other ports.

In addition to extra cost caused by the traffic congestion, the port is concerned about the response of its clients, since some have already diverted part of the cargo into other ports, or have threatened to do so. “For example, the Austrian railway company, Rail Cargo Operator, sent a note to its clients on Thursday, informing them about long delays in transporting the cargo to Luka Koper, which could result in long-term consequences,” warns Luka Koper.

G. K., translated by K. Z.