Over the past three years, Croatia’s logistics infrastructure has undergone rapid modernization, shifting the supply chain focus of Central Europe closer to the Adriatic. The clearest symbol of this change is the opening of the new Rijeka Gateway container terminal in September 2025 – the largest private logistics investment in the country’s history, worth around €380–480 million, developed by APM Terminals and ENNA Group. The terminal has begun regular ship operations, creating new handling capacity and jobs while strengthening Rijeka’s role as the “entry point” to Central European markets.
To fully leverage the port’s potential, the government is accelerating the modernization of the Rijeka–Zagreb–Budapest railway line, crucial for Corridor Vb and the TEN-T network. This includes fast-tracked “design-and-build” implementation of the Karlovac–Škrljevo section and design work on additional segments (Oštarije–Škrljevo, Karlovac–Oštarije, Skradnik–Krasica–Tijani). The projects are part of HŽ Infrastruktura’s long-term program, which foresees €6 billion in rail investment, with freight transport as a priority.
Road access to the Port of Rijeka has also improved significantly. The new DC403 approach road, opened in October 2023, removes bottlenecks between the hinterland and the quays, aligning with the EU strategy to eliminate barriers along the TEN-T network. The European Commission had previously flagged outdated port rail tracks as a major interoperability issue, and current projects aim to resolve this.
At the same time, Croatia is strengthening regional energy security. The floating LNG terminal on the island of Krk, in operation since 2021, is undergoing an expansion that will double its capacity to around 6.1 bcm annually by 2026. The terminal has already received its 125th LNG cargo, and the upgrade aligns with REPowerEU targets and growing demand in Central and Eastern Europe. This is not only a step toward supply diversification but also a boost to logistics – in storage, distribution, and vessel handling.
In the south, the Pelješac Bridge (opened in summer 2022) eliminated the transit bottleneck caused by the Neum corridor in Bosnia and Herzegovina. More than 4.7 million vehicles had crossed the bridge by mid-2024, speeding up tourist and freight traffic, stabilizing supply chains in Dalmatia, and improving the country’s territorial cohesion. For maritime logistics, this has meant more reliable access to southern ports and distribution centers.
Another key element is the Port of Ploče, crucial for bulk cargo and links to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s hinterland. After strong growth post-2021, throughput fell to 4.77 million tons in 2023 (–14% y/y), mostly due to a drop in bulk volumes, showing the port’s sensitivity to commodity cycles. Nevertheless, ongoing and planned investments in bulk and general cargo terminals are expected to increase capacity and modernize handling technology in the medium term.
These developments fit into a broader transformation of European transport corridors. The revised TEN-T regulation, in force since 2024, organizes the network into three time horizons (2030 core network, 2040 extended, 2050 comprehensive) and merges freight corridors and core networks into nine European Transport Corridors. For Croatia – particularly the Zagreb and Rijeka hubs – this means upgraded standards (including 740 m freight trains and ERTMS) and stronger connections to the Mediterranean and Baltic–Adriatic axes.
Regional observers point to a “quiet expansion” of Adriatic ports into Central European markets. Alongside Koper and Trieste, Rijeka is emerging as a key beneficiary of investments in rail access and the arrival of global terminal operators. The opening of Rijeka Gateway and the accelerated modernization of the Rijeka–Zagreb–Budapest axis reinforce this trend, shortening transit times compared to northern routes and improving network resilience in the face of disruptions.
In summary, the 2022–2025 period has brought Croatia a set of mutually reinforcing projects: a new container terminal in Rijeka, modernization of key rail lines, expansion of the LNG terminal on Krk, and the integration of the country’s south through the Pelješac Bridge. In the short term, the main challenge remains synchronizing the pace of rail modernization with growing port and energy capacities (financing, single-track bottlenecks, ERTMS rollout). In the medium term, however, these efforts could permanently shift the region’s logistics map, consolidating Croatia’s role as the “Adriatic Gateway” for freight to and from Central and Eastern Europe.
