ŽFBH
Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine (ŽFBH) is the railway company of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the country of the same name. Alongside it, the country also has Željeznice Republike Srpske (ŽRS), the railway operator of the Republika Srpska Federation. ŽFBH currently operates only a few connections on its 608 km rail network, and only on part of its network.
Summary
- Only FIP discounted tickets are accepted; there are no FIP Coupons.
- FIP tickets are sold only on-site and are not always guaranteed.
Validity of FIP Tickets
FIP 50 Tickets are valid on ŽFBH services. For cross-border journeys to Croatia, either a through FIP 50 Ticket or an FIP 50 Ticket to the Croatian border and an FIP Coupon of HŽ is required. For journeys across the entity border (currently not available), either a through FIP 50 Ticket or an FIP 50 Ticket to the entity border and an FIP Coupon of ŽRS would be required.
Train Categories and Reservations
The currently operating trains and their restrictions on specific operating days are available on the ŽFBH Website. The train category “Brzi” is translated here as “Fast train” and “Putnički” as “Local train”.
Ticket and Reservation Purchase
A price list with the FIP 50 fares from April 2026 is available in the FIP Guide Community.
On-Site
On the Train
National FIP Tickets can only be purchased on the train if boarding takes place at a station without a ticket office or with a closed ticket office. Alternatively, this also applies if entry is from another country and the onward journey continues in the same train.2
Discounts
Children up to and including 3 years travel free of charge if they do not require an extra seat. Children under 12 years receive a 50% discount on the regular fare regardless of FIP.3 An overview of all discounts outside FIP can be found on the ŽFBH Website.
For travellers crossing several Balkan countries, the Balkan Flexipass may be worthwhile. It allows unlimited travel on the rail networks of:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (ŽFBH, ŽRS),
- Bulgaria (BDŽ),
- North Macedonia (MŽ-Transport),
- Greece (HT & Attica),
- Montenegro (ŽPCG),
- Romania (CFR Calatori & Regiotrans),
- Serbia (SV),
- Turkey (TCDD).
Special Tariff Conditions
Rail Replacement Services
FIP discounts apply on rail replacement buses if they replace a train on which FIP would have been valid.2
Recommendations
The ŽFBH operates only a few trains on only a small number of lines in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. One highlight is certainly the journey in the Talgo train on the Sarajevo–Mostar line, which is one of the most beautiful railway lines in Europe. This means that the two most touristy cities in the country are connected by rail at least three times a day. The continuation to Croatian Ploče is also worth considering, as the place is only accessible by rail from Bosnia and Herzegovina and is not connected to the rest of the Croatian rail network.
Unfortunately, no inter-entity trains are currently offered and the timetable within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is also very poor. For example, the regional train between Sarajevo and Zenica has no connection to the regional train to Maglaj.
Sources
