Military Occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1878-1918)

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Beginnings in the 1878

After a British proposal the 1878 Berlin Congress permitted Austria-Hungary to occupy and govern Bosnia-Herzegovina instead of Turkey. Railways were built primarily as strategic military facilities and they were connecting southern Adriatic ports with cities in the hinterland and with Central Europe.

1879

The 190 km long Brod–Zenica military railway was built to support maneuvers and supply troops. It was completed in 1879, using the 760 mm.

1880

Dubrovnik requests to connect Gruž (Dalmatian and Zelenika railway) with the railway track Sarajevo-Metković (Narenta railway).

1882

The Zenica–Sarajevo extension opened in 1882, with a loading gauge the same as that used on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge railways, which was thought to be sufficient for general traffic including passenger services. The Brod–Zenica–Sarajevo (Bosna railway) Bosna Bahn provided the basis for the narrow-gauge railway network which was later established in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

1885

Southern Line, and the first section of that railway from Metković-Mostar (Narenta railway), in the length of 42.4 km, was opened for traffic on 13 June, 1885. The swiss engineer Heinrich Klose started with the construction of special gear locomotives to handle the big slopes (Bradina-Podorosac) in direction Konjic-Sarajevo.

1888

Mostar-Ostrožac (65,4km) track in direction Jablanica (Narenta railway), Sarajevo opened on 22.08.1988.

1889

Track Ostrožac-Konjic (Narenta railway) was opened on 10.11.1889. Austria-Hungary accepts the inquiry for the track extension to Dubrovnik and Boka-Kotorska (Igalo, Herceg Novi, Zelenika) which was requested 1880.

1891

The complete track between Sarajevo-Metkovic (Narenta railway) is finished (134,7km).

1897

Measurements and environment preparation starts on the track Gabela-Dubrovnik (Dalmatian and Zelenika railway).

1898

Start building the railway section Gabela-Dubrovnik-Zelenika (Dalmatian and Zelenika railway)

1901

15. i 16. July 1901. the track from Gabela-Dubrovnik-Zelenika (Dalmatian and Zelenika railway) was opened.

1966-1978

The end of Bosnian Gauge starts at 1966 where section Čapljina-Mostar-Sarajevo was closed. The last sections (East Bosnian) were closed at 1978.

Bosnabahn (BHStB);

355.2 km, built 1872-1898

    Bosanski Brod–Doboj–Zavidovići–Zenica–Lašva, Podlugovi–Vogošća–Sarajevo; 268.2 km, built 1879–1882, connection to the Spalato Railway at Lašva, as well as the East Bosnian railway and the Narenta railway at Sarajevo.

    Branch: Doboj–Karanovac–Simin Han, 66.7 km, built 1886;

    Branch Karanovac–Gračanica, 6.0 km, built 1898.

    Branch: Zavidovići–Olovo

    Branch: Podlugovi–Vareš, 24,5 km; Čevljanović–Ivančići, 1.9 km

    Branch: Vogošća–Čevljanovići; 20.3 km built 1885.