Well-positioned between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, Slovenia features an incredible variety of landscapes: from majestic mountain ranges to the gentle hilly country in the center, to the coast on the Adriatic Sea, which is only 46.6 kilometers long. Located on this coast is Koper, Slovenia’s gateway to the world. Cranes, container ships and cargo terminals are characteristic of the port, which is not only one of the most significant employers in the region, but also a crucial logistics hub and the driving force behind a major railway infrastructure project. Work is currently proceeding at full speed on the “Drugi Tir” (second track), offering fascinating insights into the country’s past and its underground…

60% forest and 500 brown bears

At just 20,273 km², the parliamentary Republic of Slovenia is the fourth smallest country in the EU. Geographically speaking, the green state borders not only the Central European Alpine region, but also the Balkan Peninsula, sharing a 670-kilometer-long national border with Croatia, 330 kilometers with Austria, 218 kilometers with Italy and 102 kilometers with Hungary.
Preserving the fauna, flora and habitat diversity is a matter close to the country’s heart. That is why 13% of the national territory is protected and numerous natural wonders attract many tourists every year. More than 60% of the country is covered with forest. And hard to believe, but true: There are about 500 brown bears living in the Slovenian forests.

The intersection between Central and Southeastern Europe

Thanks to its special geostrategic position between Central and Southeastern Europe, there are several important transport routes that cross paths in Slovenia. Due to its position between the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps, the Dinaric Mountains and the Pannonian Plain, as well as along some important rivers, the main traffic routes in the region were already established back in ancient times. Furthermore, the course of two Pan-European Transport Corridors V (from the Northern Adriatic to Central and Eastern Europe) and X (linking Central Europe to the Balkans) puts the country in a special economic, social and cultural position within Europe and the EU. Both corridors intersect in Ljubljana, the country’s capital. Additionally, Slovenia knows how to effectively take advantage of this favorable location at the crossroads of cultures and economic areas.

From “Brotherhood and Unity” to “Corridor X”

Today, Slovenia boasts over 600 kilometers of modern highways. Road freight and passenger traffic make up the largest share of traffic in the country, accounting for 80% of the total. The first highway was built back in 1958 by the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under the motto “Brotherhood and Unity.” A section of this “Autoput” – which stretched from Ljubljana to Zagreb, Belgrade, and Skopje – ran through what is now Slovenia. Decades later, the 1990s saw the rapid expansion and modernization of the highway network. By 2022, a 625-kilometer network of highways and expressways had been completed. The longest highway, which is part of the Pan-European Transport Corridor V (intersecting with Corridor X in Ljubljana), links Maribor with Ljubljana and the Adriatic port city of Koper.

From the most dangerous to the most important road connection

The Autoput, which was considered the most dangerous road in Europe during the “Yugoslav breakup wars” in the early 1990s, is now once again one of the most important main European traffic route. It connects Greece – including the key ports of Pireaus and Thessaloniki – to the industrial and production centers of Central and Western Europe. In total, the transit route runs 1,188 km from Austria across the Balkans to Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey – with Slovenia “in the middle.”

Koper – gateway to the Adriatic, gateway to the world

The 46.6-kilometer-long Adriatic coast of Slovenia has it all. Not only is it remarkably beautiful, but it also features three ports in Izola, Piran and Koper – with the latter being by far the most significant. It was not built until 1957 but since then it has been in commercial competition with the port of Trieste, which is not far away (in fact, the Italian border is only “a stone’s throw or two” away). In terms of container handling, the port is the largest in the northern Adriatic. The geographical advantage is obvious: Koper is 2,000 nautical miles closer to destinations east of the Suez Canal than the “traditional” ports in northern Europe. Land transport by road and rail to Central Europe is also a good 500 kilometers shorter.

The port is growing fast. For comparison, in 2011, it handled more than 17 million tons of cargo and nearly 590,000 TEUs. By 2018, the figure had already reached a record 24 million tons of cargo and 988,000 TEUs. Today, the primary focus is on container handling: The one million mark was finally broken in 2022, and by 2025, throughput climbed to an all-time high of 1,272,161 TEUs.

Expansion at all levels

The plans for the port are even bigger: Koper aims to become the premier port and global logistics provider for Central and Eastern European countries. This will require fast, modern and efficient transport links. Consequently, a major priority for both the port and the government is not only expanding the facilities at the pier, but also modernizing the entire railroad network and completing the crucial second rail connection between Koper and Divača. Fittingly named the “Drugi Tir” (second track), this project will shorten the rail route from 44.3 kilometers to just 27.1 kilometers, saving an incredible 80 minutes on this brief stretch.

The line was initially scheduled for completion in 2025, with an estimated cost between 1 and 1.4 billion euros. Most of the financing came from the EU and the Slovenian government, with the remainder secured through loans from the European Investment Bank. These are large amounts for such a short track – but this is due to the “scenic challenges” along the route to the coast.

Challenging terrain and new frontiers underground

The “Drugi Tir” railroad project is a difficult one: The terrain configuration, karst features like caves and underground waterflows, environmental restrictions, and overcoming a 400-meter altitude difference between Divača and Koper are challenging. No wonder the new line includes seven tunnels – one of them being the longest railway tunnel in Slovenia – and three viaducts across the karst terrain. The total length of the tunnels is 20.5 kilometers, roughly 75% of the entire line.

But these tunnels are not the only cavities along the Drugi Tir. As expected by speleologists, caves were discovered during construction, with the deepest cave measuring 168 meters and the longest reaching 702 meters. The total length of the 99 new caves amounts to 6.6 kilometers, which is almost as long as the longest tunnel on the route. Most of them probably would have stayed undiscovered without the project.

Speaking of undiscovered mysteries, it comes as no surprise – given the rich history of the region – that the construction teams uncovered remarkable historical finds, ranging from the Old Stone Age to the Roman era. They even excavated a Roman road, villas, the remains of a woolly rhinoceros, and an old Egyptian scarab pendant, which likely arrived there through ancient trade. What a fitting coincidence…

Key to Koper’s success

The Divača–Koper Second Track project is entering the final phase of implementation and should be up and running in 2026 or early 2027. Final electromechanical works are currently underway after a first train successfully tested the tracks in March 2026. After construction, the capacity of the line will be 120 trains per day or 25.7 million tons per year, while the capacity of both lines (the existing and the second track) will be 212 trains per day or 36.9 million tons per year. Travel times will also be reduced from 110 minutes to a maximum of 30 minutes to get to Koper from Divača – another key improvement for the port of Koper’s success and ambitious future plans.

By 2030, the joint-stock company Luka Koper d.d., which operates the port, expects to increase the port’s annual capacity to 40 million tons and that of the container terminal to 2.2 million TEU.
Besides the improved railway capacity, another challenge for the development of the port is the water depth. The water here is only 7 to 18 meters deep, which means ships must have a capacity of under 180,000 tons to enter. At the moment, the largest container giants would not even be able to dock here, as the port can only handle ships that can hold a maximum volume of 15,200 TEUs.

Ljubljana Airport: the final piece of the logistics puzzle

To complement these expanding maritime and rail links, Slovenia also boasts a highly flexible airfreight sector. Although the airport in Ljubljana is not the largest among its competitors in the surrounding regions, the wholly-owned Fraport subsidiary is considered efficient and flexible, featuring an adequate air cargo infrastructure with modern warehouse facilities right next to it [Promo URL Brnik]. Here, too, Slovenia is showing its strength on a smaller scale: The good road network and proximity to the port of Koper are paying off, and the growing rail network will add to this potential in the future.