(ANSA) - BELGRADE - Around 6.7 billion euro in investments in the next two decades would be needed to improve the infrastructure and railway services in Croatia, bringing them back to the level of 40-100 years ago. This is the forecast emerged during a debate organized by Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK) and the Employers' Association (HUP), the regional N1 television reported, quoting the local Poslovni Dnevnik. Panelists pointed out that Croatia, regarding railway infrastructure, is lagging behind other EU countries, in particular due to the lack of structured development strategy in the sector and the low level of investments in the sector in the previous decades.

As a result, it was noted during the event, average speed on the railway network generally decreased in the past decades. For instance, a train trip from Zagreb to Vinkovci, in the East of the country, took two hours in 1990. Today the same trip may take more than four hours, N1 said. (ANSA).