Today (November 16, 1947), the first train traveled the Šamac – Sarajevo railway line after 220 working days from the start of construction of this road rail, which remains an important artery of the railway in Bosnia and Herzegovina today. The construction rate of this railway was 1,100 meters per day, and both then and now, it remains a unique case in railway construction in Europe and the world.
On the occasion of the grand opening of the Youth Railway Šamac – Sarajevo, already on November 15th, the long passenger train line, decorated with greenery, flags, and banners, crossed the newly constructed large Sava Bridge this morning and stopped in Bosanski Šamac. Alongside the local people, numerous youth brigades attended the celebration, and the brigade leaders, elated and proud, celebrating their greatest work achievement, gathered exactly at the place where, on April 1st of that year, they first struck their shovels into the ground, marking the start of the construction of the standard gauge Youth Railway.
After a beautiful and sunny day, the train from Šamac departed at 7:15 heading towards Sarajevo, carrying honorary passengers – the best performers and delegates of mass organizations. Traveling through the gentle valley of Bosnia, at every kilometer, it was enthusiastically greeted by crowds with flowers and gifts. It arrived in Modriča at 8:12 and was ceremoniously welcomed by the locals, where a short rally was organized. After leaving Modriča, the festive train was held up in Osječanj and Grapska, where the people in large numbers greeted the finest builders of the Youth Railway.
At 11:30 a.m., the ceremonial train arrived in Doboj, greeted by the sounds of music, delighted shouts, and applause. Welcoming the builders, the people shared gifts, cakes, cigarettes, and fruit. Immediately upon the train’s arrival, a rally was held where representatives from the Government of NR Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Main Headquarters of the Youth Railway, and the People’s Front of Doboj addressed the crowd. Some time after noon, the train departed for Maglaj. In Maglaj, the ceremonial train was welcomed by the residents of this small town with the same joy and enthusiasm. Passing through the Bosnian hills and the first tunnels, over the first bridges across the Bosna River, the train arrived in Zavidovići. In Zavidovići, the train was greeted by the residents of the entire district with music. The working people of Zavidovići, who also helped the youth in building the railway, celebrated this great victory together with the builders.
Before sunset, traveling across Žepče and the newly built Nemila railway station, the train approached the largest structure on the Youth Railway and the vast Vrânduk mountain, through which the builders had bore the largest tunnel and opened the gates of the Youth Railway into the heart of Bosnia. The magnificent portal of the tunnel is decorated with pictures of Marshal Tito and large posters displaying the results and achievements of the famous miners’ brigades. A long whistle from the locomotive pays homage to the builders, and the train, roaring, enters the tunnel where it is greeted on the other side by the Zenica plains, behind which the chimneys of the Zenica steelworks can be seen from afar.
The city was already decorated upon hearing the news of the festive train passing through Zenica; every house had a flag displayed, all entrances were adorned with greenery and pictures of Marshal Tito, and large triumphal arches with slogans were erected in several places. At one o’clock in the afternoon, a large parade was formed, involving several thousand construction workers of the Railway and citizens of Zenica, and it set out towards the new railway station.
Special train of Marshal Tito
Awaiting the ceremonial train, the residents of Zenica and the builders experienced great honor when they suddenly and unexpectedly saw and greeted the beloved Marshal Tito. The special marshal train departed from Belgrade heading towards Sarajevo, along the new broad-gauge route of the Youth Railway, to participate in the magnificent celebration of the opening of the Youth Railway in Sarajevo. The appearance of Marshal Tito was enthusiastically greeted by several thousand citizens of Zenica, who continuously cheered and waved slogans. After a brief stop, the special train continued its journey towards Sarajevo.
Exactly at 6 o’clock in the evening, the ceremonial train arrived in Zenica, and everyone present, who had patiently waited, greeted enthusiastically the best builders of the Railway and the first train. With a ceremonial rally, they sent their greetings to the railway builders in front of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the City People’s Committee, and the Zenica district. Sent off with excitement and cheers from the gathered people, the ceremonial train continued its journey towards Sarajevo.
Sarajevo, November 16, 1947.
Early this morning, the main streets of Sarajevo were flooded with crowds of citizens and people from the surrounding areas, who, under flags and in dense rows, headed towards the construction site of the new railway station. Preparations for this great celebration had been underway for several days, so the city was decorated with large illuminated banners, glowing five-pointed stars, and garlands of bulbs. Shop windows were adorned with pictures of Marshal Tito and smaller displays showcasing the production success of worker collectives.
The entire area between the Omladinska Railway embankment, the construction site of the railway station, and the camp block was covered with crowds of people. From the mass of about 80,000 citizens, peasants, and builders of the Omladinska Railway, enthusiastic songs and cheering constantly resounded. Exactly at 9 o’clock, the celebratory train whistle from Čengić Villa was heard. From Bakarevac, salvos from ten cannons greeted the arrival of the first train from Šamac. Joyful cheers and applause greeted the ceremonial train, adorned with flags and banners, as it slowly entered the station platform and stopped at the level of the grandstand. The locomotive of the ceremonial train was decorated with flags and a large badge of the Omladinska Railway builders, and on the first carriage, a banner was displayed: “In 193 days, we built 242 kilometers of track.”
At that moment, Marshal Tito appeared on the platform, where those present greeted him enthusiastically amid the roar of cannons and the long blast of the locomotive whistle. Afterward, Mihajlo Švabić, the chief of the Youth Railway Construction Directorate, submitted a report to Marshal Tito. Hearing the report, Tito said, “You have well executed the task assigned to you by the Government. The people and the state owe you a great debt of gratitude. Receive warm and heartfelt thanks on behalf of the Federal Government and the people for the great efforts our youth have invested. Long live our youth!” At that moment, the mixed choir of the Railway Cultural and Artistic Society “Vaso Miskin Crni” performed the anthem “Hey Slavs.” Then Marshal Tito approached the speakers and delivered a folk speech.
At the end of his speech, the head of the Construction Department asked Tito to unveil the memorial plaque, which briefly recorded the results of the youth on the Šamac – Sarajevo railway. The plaque was temporarily placed next to the railway embankment, and later it was to be engraved into the building of the train station, where it still (as of November 16, 2014) remains today. After unveiling the plaque, Tito said: “Comrades young men and young women, I unveil this memorial plaque as a sign of the great battle you have victoriously fought. Let it stand here as a reminder of the vow by which our youth, with great heroism, built yet another great achievement for the good of our country and our peoples.”
After this event, precisely at 2 PM, in front of the National Bank, the parade of the Youth Railway builders began. The columns of participants densely arranged in ranks carried flags of the FPRY and flags of the respective national republics, as well as the banners of the brigades that participated in the construction of the Youth Railway. The parade then showcased life and work on the railway. On large trucks, several wagons positioned on the track represented earthworks, followed by squads of youth with shovels, and behind them, squads with carts. A large model of the Vranduk tunnel, a model of the bridge near Maglaj, and a large white model of the Zenica railway station were particularly prominent.
Organized by the local union council and as the host of the three-time leading Sarajevo brigade, a festive farewell evening with everyone’s favorite campfire was held at Freedom Square for their comrades from the railway from other republics and regions. The communal celebration around campfires and songs lasted until late at night.
Data from the “Oslobođenje” newspaper from November 1947.
From the Present Perspective
The first major overhaul of the Vrpolje – Šamac – Sarajevo railway line took place back in 1970, simultaneously with the electrification works, which was commissioned in 1971. During that year, this section of the railway handled approximately 4 million passenger journeys annually, with about 50 passenger trains running daily. The train speeds reached up to 100 km/h. To this day (2014), no significant renovations have been performed, except for rebuilding efforts resulting from wartime damage (1992–1995) and major floods in 2014. In 1978, under the organization of ORA, a second track was built from Zenica station to Doboj.
In recent years, two fast trains (Talgo BH trains) run along this route from Sarajevo to Doboj, or two to three pairs of local passenger trains on the Zenica – Maglaj / Zenica – Sarajevo line, at speeds depending on the condition of the section, 30, 50, or 70 km/h. Additionally, since 2013, passenger traffic from Doboj towards Šamac has been completely discontinued, meaning Bosnia and Herzegovina has no railway lines to Croatia, Hungary, and Serbia, or outward access to Europe.
We inform our esteemed visitors that you can view the technical specifications of the railway construction and a multitude of exclusive photographs on the topic “Youth Railway Šamac – Sarajevo” by clicking on the link:
https://vremeplov.ba/2025/?p=5554 and link: https://vremeplov.ba/2025/?p=14640
“The past should not be forgotten regardless of what it was, because everything that is not recorded will be forgotten.”
Srećko Ignjatović
