TRANS-BORDERS+: from successful pilots to permanent cross-border connections

Štrekna bus – from an uncertain future to a long-term model

Before the start of the project upgrade, the Štrekna bus had great potential, but with an increasingly limited scope of implementation, worn-out bicycle transport equipment and an uncertain future. In 2024, it operated for only 27 days , transporting 1,139 passengers and 417 bicycles , so we approached a comprehensive upgrade of the service within the framework of TRANS-BORDERS+. In 2025, we introduced daily services in July and August, improved bicycle transport options and strengthened promotion, and in 2026, we extended the season to June weekends, reaching a total of 79 operating days .

The results confirmed that the decision was correct. In 2026, a record 3,335 passengers and 1,995 bicycles were transported. Compared to 2025, the number of operating days increased by 12.9%, the number of passengers by 45.9% , and the number of bicycles transported by 35% . Even more telling is the fact that in the two upgraded seasons of 2025 and 2026 alone, 5,621 passengers and 3,473 bicycles were transported, which means more passengers and bicycles than in all six previous seasons combined.

An important result of the project is therefore not just record numbers. With the help of TRANS-BORDERS+, we have also developed a realistic long-term implementation and financing model for the Štrekna bus, together with key stakeholders, for the period from 2027 to at least 2029. In this way, the service gradually outgrows the framework of an individual project and becomes a stable part of the regional and cross-border mobility offer Koroške.

Multimodal point Dravograd – connecting what we already have

An important result of the project is also the preparation of investment and project documentation for the Multimodal Point Dravograd . When planning it, we did not start from the idea of ​​creating a completely new infrastructure, but rather wanted to intelligently connect what already exists at this strategic location with new forms of modern mobility.

In the area of ​​the main bus station , the nearby railway station, Štrekna and the Drava cycling path, the regional e-bike rental system KoroBAJK, a secure covered bicycle shed, accompanying infrastructure and other forms of shared mobility are connected into a single concept. Dravograd is thus gradually acquiring the function of a true regional mobility hub. Its importance will be even greater with the planned cross-border bus connection to Šentpavel in the Labotska dolina (St. Paul im Lavanttal) and the intermodal terminal next to the new Koralmbahn railway connection.

There is no modern cross-border mobility without data

An important part of the project was also dedicated to digitalization, data sharing and improving the user experience for passengers . For smooth travel across the border, it is not enough to simply establish bus lines or arrange a transfer point - before departure, the passenger simply needs to find out what options he has, how individual connections complement each other and how he can plan his route from start to finish.

Good mobility planning starts one step earlier: with high-quality and internationally comparable data. Digital solutions, supported by reliable data exchange between countries, carriers and systems, can significantly facilitate both service planning and travel itself. That is why one of the most important lessons of the project is that physical connections and digital information should not be created separately – modern cross-border mobility needs both .

The closing conference was not just a review of what has been achieved, but above all a look ahead. In recent years, the TRANS-BORDERS+ project has created a solid platform for cooperation between partners, regions, carriers and other institutions, on which we can build new cross-border connections and continue the development of already established solutions.

At the end of the project, we would like to thank all partners, municipalities, institutions, transport operators and other stakeholders who contributed to the successful implementation of the project activities. Special thanks also go to all passengers and cyclists who have chosen Štrekna bus in recent seasons and, through their use of the service, directly contributed to the results that today confirm its potential.

The completion of the TRANS-BORDERS+ project is therefore not the end of the journey. It is only an important stop and a new milestone on the path to further developing cross-border mobility and connecting Koroške with neighboring regions.