MarketNarrow-gauge railways in Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Narrow-gauge railways in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Most Bosnian-gauge railway lines were built during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Several 760 mm gauge railways were planned in order to link the extensive narrow-gauge railways in the Austro-Hungarian Empire with those in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Until the outbreak of the Balkan Wars in 1912 several were constructed.

Central {{RailGauge|760mm}} gauge network
"Steinbeis" railways Approximately 400 km, 1902–75. Built as a group of four main forest railways of the "Bosnische Forstindustrie AG Otto Steinbeis". All four railways started off from Srnetica. • SrneticaŠipovoJajce • In Jajce it connected directly further to Donji Vakuf via the Spalato railway) • Sanski MostSrneticaPrijedor • In Prijedor it had an interchange connection to the normal-gauge railway DobrljinBosanski NoviPrijedorBanja Luka. • SrneticaDrvarLička KaldrmaKnin (Croatia) • In Knin it had an interchange connection to the normal-gauge railway system of Croatia. • "Unska pruga" normal-gauge railway was built in 1948 in the vicinity of this railway in the section between Knin and Lička Kaldrma, but both railways had their own distinct routes and even operated simultaneously for a short period of time. • SrneticaGornji Ribnik These four main forestry railrays had numerous local forestry logging branches near Grmeč, Klekovača, Oštrelj, Manjača and Glamoč. "Spalato" railway Spalato Bahn (Splitska pruga); 104.5 km, built 1893–95, Connecting the Steinbeis railway with the Bosna railway. • LašvaTravnik; 30.1 km, 1893 • With direct connection to "Bosna" railway in Lašva; • TravnikDonji VakufBugojno; 70.7 km, 1894, including of Abt rack railway over the Komar mountain pass • Donji VakufJajce; 33.7 km, 1895 • With direct connection to Steinbeis railway in Jajce; • BugojnoAržanoSplit; (Planned, never built) Bosna railway Bosnabahn (BHStB), 355.2 km • Bosanski BrodDerventaDobojMaglajZavidovićiŽepčeZenicaLašvaKakanjVisokoPodlugoviSemizovacSarajevo; 268.2 km, built 1879–1882; • It had direct connections to the following railways: • DobojUsoraTeslić railway in Doboj; • Doboj–ΩLukavacTuzlaSimin Han railway in Doboj; • ZavidovićiOlovoHan PijesakKusače in Zavidovići; • Spalato Railway in Lašva; • PodlugoviBrezaVareš in Podlugovi; • SemizovacSrednje (Ilijaš)Čevljanovići in Semizovac; • East Bosnian railway in Sarajevo; • Narenta railway in Sarajevo. Railroad's demise: • A sort-of replacement normal-gauge railroad Bosanski ŠamacDobojMaglajZavidovićiŽepčeZenicaLašvaKakanjVisokoPodlugoviSemizovacSarajevo was built in 1947. • This caused an immediate closure of the entire central section of the old narrow-gauge Bosna railway from Doboj to Zenica in 1947. • However, its remaining two sections continued to operate: • Section "Bosanski BrodDerventaDoboj" operated until 1968, in order to keep the direct-gauge connection of the Teslić basin railway to Sava river at Bosanski Brod. • Section "Zenica–Lašva" continued to operate until 1975 (until the Spalato railway was discontinued), in order to provide direct-gauge connection of Zenica's industry with the areas serviced by Spalato railway. • Section "Lašva–Kakanj–Visoko–Sarajevo" continued to operate until 1967 (until the new normal-gauge railroad "Sarajevo–Konjic–Jablanica–Mostar–Čapljina–Ploče" was completed) in order to provide the direct-gauge connection of Zenica's industry with the port of Ploče. Tuzla basin railway DobojKaranovacLukavacTuzlaSimin Han, 66.7 km, built 1886; • It had a direct connection to Bosna railway in Doboj. Karanovac–Gračanica KaranovacGračanica; 4 km or 6.0 km (needs verification), , 1898–1967 • It had a direct connection to Tuzla basin railway in Karanovac. Teslić basin railway DobojUsoraTeslić, where it branched off in three relatively long directions to various local mountains and forests; • It had a direct connection to Bosna railway in Doboj. ZavidovićiOlovoHan PijesakKusače ZavidovićiOlovoHan PijesakKusače • Built as a private forestry railroad with numerous local branches along the way. • Taken by the state later on and used as a mixed public / forestry railroad. • It had a direct connection to Bosna railway in Zavidovići. Podlugovi–Breza–Vareš industrial railway PodlugoviBrezaVareš, 24.5 km; • Built primarily for servicing the iron and steel industry in Vareš; • It had a direct connection to Bosna railway in Podlugovi. Semizovac–Srednje–Čevljanovići–Ivančići SemizovacSrednjeČevljanovićiIvančići; 20.3 km built 1885. • Built primarily for extracting ores from mines in Čevljanovići and Ivančići; • It had a direct connection to Bosna railway in Semizovac. Narenta railway Narenta railway (German: Narentabahn, Bosnian: Neretvanska pruga); 178.4 km, constructed 1885–1891. • MetkovićGabelaČapljinaMostar; 42.4 km, 1885 (Gabela is a junction with the Dalmatian railway) • MostarOstrožac; 65.9 km, 1888 • OstrožacKonjic; 13.0 km, 1889 • KonjicIvan passHadžićiIlidžaSarajevo; 55.8 km, 1891 (including of Abt rack railway over the Ivan mountain pass, replaced with a tunnel in 1931, having a standard-gauge railway structure gauge profile). • Connecting with the Ostbahn and the Bosna railway at Sarajevo. • Branch: IlidžaBanja Ilidža; 1.3 km, built 1892. PločeMetković; 1942 extension to a planned sea harbour in Ploče. Dalmatian and Zelenika railways Dalmatiner Bahn (Dalmatinska pruga); 188.6 km, built 1901. • GabelaHumUskopljeHerceg Novi (Montenegro)Zelenika; 155.5 km (Gabela Junction–Narenta railway (Sarajevo)) • HumTrebinje, 17 km, built in 1901 and extended to Bileća in 1931 (37 km), Nikšić (Montenegro) in 1938 (71 km) and further to Podgorica in 1948 (56 km). • Branch: UskopljeDubrovnik; 16.5 km East Bosnian railway Bosnische Ostbahn (Bosanska istočna pruga) 166.4 km, built 1906. • SarajevoPalePračaUstipračaMeđeđaUvac 137.6 km (Serbian border); • Extension UvacPriboj, Serbia (built 1929). This line is connected to the Bosna railway and the Narenta railway at Sarajevo. • MeđeđaVišegradDobrunVardište at Serbian border; 28.8 km; • Extension VardišteMokra GoraŠargan VitasiUžice built in 1925; • This extension connected this railroad with the narrow-gauge railroad UžiceČačak (built 1912); ČačakGornji Milanovac (built 1920); Gornji MilanovacLajkovac (built 1922); LajkovacObrenovac (built 1908); ObrenovacBelgrade (built 1928). Upper Drina railway UstipračaGoraždeFoča (built 1939); • It had direct connection to the East Bosnian railway in Ustiprača. • It was extended in 1946 to Brod na Drini village, which connected it to the forestry narrow-gauge railroad network of "Maglić" forestry conglomerate (railroads to Miljevina and to Tjentište and further on). In the 1960s, plans were made to regauge the lines to standard gauge. However, this was not realised. On 28 May 1978 the line was closed for commercial traffic. The track bed is currently very visible in the landscape, with several stations, tunnels still visible. A small part of the track is still in service as a heritage railway rebuilt between 1999 and 2003, Šargan Eight. == Other ==
Other
There were numerous private industrial and mostly forestry narrow-gauge railroads in operation throughout the late 19th and most of 20th century, with varying construction and deconstruction dates. Some of them were isolated, while some had direct connections to one of the main state narrow-gauge railroads. Only some of those railroads are mentioned below. Bosanska Mezgraja–Bijeljina railway Bosanska MezgrajaBijeljinaUgljevik; An isolated gauge railway Sinj railway SplitSinj (completed in Croatia); 40 km, 1903–62. A planned extension via Aržano to Bugojno (and further on existing tracks to Sarajevo) never materialized because of World War I and the line remained isolated from the Bosnian network. Banovići coal-mine railway A gauge industrial line opened in 1947 near Tuzla. Still in commercial operation. == See also ==
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