The country will make its submission before the first cut-off deadline of the 2017 CEF Transport Blending Call for Proposals.

The blending call is the European Commission's new approach to grant funding, serving as an alternative or complement to its traditional grant funding.

Slovenia's submission comes a few weeks after the country was successfully able to draw EUR 63m in funds from the CEF for eleven out of 19 submitted projects.

About EUR 44m were allocated to the rail upgrade project, EUR 33.5m of which went towards preliminary preparatory works, while EUR 10.9m went toward archaeological excavations and surveying.

The Infrastructure Ministry said that the project to construct the second rail track between the port of Koper and the inland hub of Divača would carry on despite the referendum on the government-sponsored law on the rail upgrade, scheduled for 24 September.

The rail upgrade is to be funded with EU funds, Slovenian and Hungarian capital investments, as well as loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB).