Bulgaria and North Macedonia announced their commitment to modernise and build the Railway Corridor VIII under the TEN-T Regulation.
The countries’ decision has been taken during a high-level meeting between Biser Mincher, the Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Stefan Volkanovski, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport of North Macedonia, Sinisha Ivanovski, the Director of Railway Infrastructure in North Macedonia, the EU Commission, financing institutions EIB and EBRD and the Transport Community Secretariat.
Bulgaria and North Macedonia agreed to hold a regular high-level dialogue and establish a joint working group for Railway Corridor VIII. In addition, the respective ministries will work towards finding a coordinated technical solution for the construction of the cross-border section of the Corridor. The two countries also welcome the support of the European Corridor Coordinator for the Western Balkan – Eastern Mediterranean and of the Transport Community Permanent Secretariat to advance on Corridor VIII.
Corridor VIII is a critical railway link for the whole region and the EU. It will bring faster travel for goods and passengers, increasing mobility, market access and competitiveness of the Western Balkans. The Commission welcomes the re-confirmation of the commitment from Bulgaria and North Macedonia to Corridor VIII, which shows the willingness for regional cooperation essential to the future of both countries.
The rail connection between the two countries is provided by the 23.4 km Kriva Palanka – border with Bulgaria section which is under procurement. In 2023, North Macedonia secured a EUR 175 million loan from EBRD for this section which requires track modernisation and construction, electrification, installation of signalling and communications systems.
The eastern stretch of Corridor VIII connects North Macedonia and Bulgaria and is part of the Western Balkans – Eastern Mediterranean European Corridor and a flagship project of the EU’s Global Gateway. With EU financial assistance for project preparation and investment co-financing under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, North Macedonia and Albania are upgrading the existing lines and constructing the missing links along the Corridor.
Along Corridor VIII, rail compliance is rather problematic on the central and south-eastern parts of the corridor and characterised by the unbalanced, slow or in cases non-existent implementation of ERTMS and gaps in electrification. Low commercial speeds remain the main challenge for long-distance freight rail. Rail-road terminals are either non-existent or operate poorly due to outdated infrastructure and handling equipment.
The Rail Corridor VIII needs an investment of EUR 2.1 billion, of which EUR 1.8 billion in Northe Macedonia and EUR 357 million in Albania. European Union approved grants totalling EUR 367.6 million, of which EUR 302.6 million for North Macedonia and EUR 65 million for Albania.
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