THE IMPORTANCE OF INDUSTRIAL TRACK IN RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE

An important part of the railway infrastructure in the area of freight transport designed to simplify the transportation process and benefit the economy of an area are industrial tracks. Industrial tracks provide different benefits to users and railways. Enable customers to deliver the goods in the factory, avoiding the cost of loading and a lower total cost of transportation, a rail unloading station, reducing the work operations at railway stations, increasing passenger safety and reduce traffic congestion near the station. While in the economically developed countries the number of industrial tracks and their utilization is significant, in less developed countries the number of industrial track is a bit smaller. According to data from 2009 at the Croatian railway network, there were 314 primary industrial tracks, although only 168 of them in greater or lesser extent perform manipulative actions. The remaining 146 of the track has been temporarily closed and inactive. Closure and abandonment of some industrial tracks is caused by the changes in the economy and the real needs of users. Although the existing industrial intersections generates about 70% of total freight transport, are noticeable problems with the technical condition of the track, an organization working on them and the relationship of railroads and industrial users of the track. Retention and renewal of existing and construction of new industrial track, it would be possible to increase the competitiveness of rail compared to other modes of transport. This paper describes the characteristics of the industrial tracks with special emphasis on the construction of an industrial track for the cement factory Nasicecement in Nasice. Construction of the track allowed the multiple benefits: shorter transport time and energy saving, rational use of means of transport and labor, reducing transport costs, increase traffic safety and reliability of the transport system and increasing the competitiveness of factories in the market.