Slovenia aborts Bohinj railway contract award as EU funding lapses

Because of the deadline of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (August 2026), the EUR 48.4 million of EU funds earmarked can no longer be drawn; the award to VOC Celje and IMP worth about EUR 79.8 million (incl. VAT) will not be carried out. The Bohinj railway remains a development priority, and next steps depend on new funding and an adjusted timetable.

Slovenia's directorate for infrastructure has ended the procurement for the upgrade of the Bohinj railway (line No. 70) on the Bled Jezero–Bohinjska Bela and Bohinjska Bela–Nomenj sections without signing a contract. The contract awarded in September 2025 to VOC Celje and IMP (about EUR 79.8 million incl. VAT) would, because of the review procedure lasting until the end of December and the nine-month construction period, only have been finished after the deadline of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (August 2026), so EUR 48.4 million of EU funds lapsed and a funding gap arose. The project remains a development priority; further steps will be decided once funding is secured and the timetable adjusted. (LOK Report, 15 Jan 2026)