Summary. A summary of the expert article from the society's 35th anniversary volume. The full article is available to download below.

The modernization of the 109.5-kilometre single-track Pragersko, Ormož, Murska Sobota, Hodoš line transformed this section into the most modern railway stretch in Slovenia. The line lies on the Fifth International Corridor, connecting Lyon, Trieste, Koper, Divača, Ljubljana and Budapest all the way to the Ukrainian border, and is of great importance for passenger transport and especially for freight from the Port of Koper towards Hungary.

Before the works, this was the only non-electrified section on the corridor, operated with diesel traction and low speeds. The work was carried out in several stages from 2001 onward, with the bulk between 2013 and 2015, when electrification with a 3 kV system and the upgrade for speeds up to 160 km/h were completed. The measures included the construction of five traction power substations, the renovation of stations and bridges, noise protection, and the reorganization of 78 level crossings, while ETCS and GSM-R equipment was also installed.

This was one of the larger infrastructure projects in the country, worth around 465.5 million euros and co-financed by the EU Cohesion Fund. It was completed in 2016 and shortened passenger train travel times by 33 minutes. According to the authors, the line is the first in Slovenia to meet all European directives and was delivered without contract amendments.