Slovenian Railways have made several adjustments to train timetables to ensure smooth enough travel to and from Ljubljana during ongoing extensive work on railway infrastructure. There will be fewer trains but the capacity of some will increase.

Passenger train timetables are changing considerably in 2025 to adapt to upgrades to railway lines across the country and the construction of a new central passenger terminal in the capital city.

"Our basic motive is to enable mobility for people in and out of the capital to the extent that this will prevent passengers from switching to road transport in high numbers," Darja Kocjan, the head of the railways passenger division, told reporters on 9 December.

A total of 76 trains will run between Ljubljana and the Zidani Most junction in the east of the country, eleven fewer than now, but they will be able to take more passengers.

Additional stops, substitute bus services

All regional trains will make additional stops in Litija, east of Ljubljana, an additional morning train service will be introduced on weekdays between Sevnica and Celje, and an additional evening and two morning services on the Ljubljana-Sevnica route, with an extension to Dobova on the border with Croatia.

A total of 63 trains will run between Ljubljana and Maribor. Substitute bus services will be organised for ten trains on the Ljubljana-Celje line during rush hour, but travel times are expected to be similar.

"For example, the train will run between Maribor and Celje, and passengers will then change to a direct bus running on the motorway to Ljubljana. The same regime will apply in the opposite direction," Kocjan said.

Substitute bus services will continue to run in place of 14 trains on the Ljubljana-Brezovica route.

New trains to and across the border

There will also be an extra morning train at weekends from Pragersko to Hodoš on the border with Hungary, an additional morning train west of Ljubljana to Sežana, Nova Gorica, Koper, Rakitovec and Ilirska Bistrica, and two additional trains on the southern Ljubljana-Metlika route at weekends.

There will be two new direct links between Slovenia and Austria, specifically between Maribor and Graz, and the Austrian railway operator is introducing two pairs of additional trains to Nova Gorica in 2025 during the city's stint as the European Capital of Culture with its Italian neighbour Gorizia.

It will also be possible to travel between Slovenia and Croatia with additional trains starting from new year.

Major work during Xmas holidays

A third of the tracks at the Ljubljana railway station are currently inoperable. "Two temporary platforms will be opened on 14 December to enable as many trains as possible to arrive at the station," said Matjaž Kranjc, the head of the railways infrastructure arm.

Construction work will cause additional disruption. The first major such is expected from 25 to 27 December as the link from Ljubljana to Jesenice in the north and Divača in the west is completely closed to fix tracks on the Dunajska Road overpass.

"This will be done during holidays, when there are fewer passengers," Kranjc said. Substitute bus service will be organised for all trains running on this route during that time.