Tue, 17 October 2023

Tourists from Switzerland and Hungary arrive in Montenegro by orient express style trains

One of the most beautiful tourist attractions in Montenegro still attracts foreign tourists.

PUBLISHED: 17.10.2023.

Recognizing the importance and unused potential of the railway route in Montenegro, which, with by its attractiveness and numerous tourist attractions and national parks of our country in its immediate vicinity, deserves attention like well-known railway lines in Europe, the management of Railway Transport of Montenegro JSC Podgorica in the previous period expressed interest and readiness to initiate cooperation with the Ministry of Capital Investments, the Railway Administration and other key institutions and foreign partners with the aim of introducing new contents into the tourism offer of Montenegro.

Thus, in addition to German tourists who were our almost daily guests this season, tourists from Hungary and Switzerland were arriving in Montenegro on special trains organized in cooperation with the Railway Transport of Montenegro JSC Podgorica, attracted by the beauty of the Belgrade-Bar railway line, and in particular by the section between Bar and Kolašin, as well as the charms of traveling by train.

It is our great pleasure, as we were previously announcing, to now confirm that the transport of passengers by railway is indeed already becoming an important part of the Montenegrin tourist offer, so these days, for the first time, passenger cars and wagon restaurants such as the Swiss "Train Bleu" and "Prestige Continental Express" of ZRT, as well as the "Continental Classic Express" of the Hungarian company "Continental Railway Solution" could be seen on the Montenegrin railway line with locomotives of the Railway Transport of Montenegro at the head of the compositions.

So, as result of intensive cooperation and promotion of our company's services, on 20/09/2023 a special train entered Montenegro, bringing passengers through an eight-day journey from Geneva all the way to Bar, and on September 24th, a special train from Budapest to Bar followed.

Retro compositions in the style of the Orient Express with passenger lounges and dining cars attracted attention on their journey to Bar, and foreign tourists enthusiastically photographed beautiful landscape in the north of Montenegro, Mala Rijeka Bridge, Morača Canyon, Lake Skadar and the Adriatic Sea. On 26/09/2023 both trains from Bar headed back to their destinations, and in a special train during the journey on the route Podgorica - Kolašin - Podgorica, a working lunch was held with representatives of the Railway Transport of Montenegro, the Ministry of Capital Investments, the Railway Administration, Montecargo, February 16th, hosted by representatives of Continental Railway Solution from Hungary, Mr. Andras Szigeti and Mr. Attila Szeplaki.

Mr. Andras Szigeti, General Director of Continental Railway Solution, who warmly welcomed the guests, said: "The most important thing is that we had the opportunity to meet with colleagues from the railway sector and see how we can start conversations about future ideas, and it is also a good idea to see directly in what time we can serve lunch or dinner on the route from Podgorica to Kolašin and back. Montenegro is a fairly developed tourist destination, but from the point of view of a railway tourist, the Bar - Kolašin railway line is not well known. My opinion is that a special train ride to Kolašin could be a year-round attraction, and the Bar - Kolašin railway could be as important tourist destination as Mostar or Kotor, bringing tourists from all over the world. This is an ideal one day or half day trip both in summer and winter, as the nature in the canyons is completely different in each of the seasons and always provides a fantastic change of scenery. Also, the aim is to start talking about establishing a regular train connection between Budapest or Bratislava to Bar."

"I hope that today's event is the beginning of a very good and successful future cooperation with the Hungarian Railway Company. What is really important for our Company, although no less for the development of tourism in Montenegro, is that we have shown the partners from Hungary in these four days that we can be a credible partner despite all the difficulties we are facing. What makes us especially happy is their interest in having a regular line on the Budapest-Bar route from the spring of 2024. These visits came at the very end of the tourist season, which we can say was challenging for us, but also successful, as we can see from today's event. The figures speak for themselves, we can see that there was an increase in the number of passengers and total revenues compared to the previous year. Our goal in near future is to invest the funds granted to us through the credit arrangement with EUROFIMA, as well as part of the business income in the overhaul of existing rolling stock and the purchase of used passenger coaches, all with the aim to be well prepared for the winter as well as the next summer season," concluded Mr. Marko Bertanjoli, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Railway Transport of Montenegro JSC Podgorica.

Railway Transport of Montenegro

Trg Golootočkih žrtava 13, 81000 Podgorica

Phone: +382 20 441 197

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E-mail: info@zpcg.me

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