The Ministers of Transport of Montenegro and Serbia have officially inaugurated the modernised common Bijelo Polje border train station marking the end of separate border checking at stations on either side of the border, streamlining rail traffic between the two countries.
The modernisation of the station was completed at the end of May with the support of a EUR 2.1 million European co-financing through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance.
“The opening of the common station will shorten the waiting time and the necessary procedures at the border crossing between Montenegro and Serbia, and enable the smooth flow of people and goods, as well as increase the level of use of transport means,” said Montenegro’s Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Filip Radulović.
The joint station, together with simultaneous investment in the railway infrastructure and better connection between the south and the north of Montenegro, increase the attractiveness of rail transport services which will attract more goods to railways towards Port of Bar, which will contribute to the development of country’s economy. “By working together on such projects, we contribute to the mutual development and connectivity of economies and better connectivity with EU countries,” Montenegro’s minister explained.
“People’s waiting is hereby reduced to a minimum time interval, while double customs and passport controls will be avoided. The fast connection between people will be accelerated through the implementation of several joint projects in the field of infrastructure. By opening the joint railway station in Bijelo Polje, we have only continued the cooperation with Montenegro, which we will further improve in the future,” Serbia’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Goran Vesić, said.
This project belongs to the broader context of regional cooperation within the Berlin Process, that is, the Transport Community of Southeast Europe and the Action Plan.
The Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community, Matej Zakonjšek, said that inadequate transport networks and a lack of coordination seriously limit the connectivity of the citizens within the region and with the European Union. “Solving these issues requires investments in infrastructure, as well as better cooperation among neighbours. The station in Bijelo Polje has already become a great example for the entire region. Under one roof, the relevant authorities will cooperate, and the train will no longer have to stop twice as it did before,” Zakonjšek said at the ceremony.
The joint Bijelo Polje border train station is part of the Bar – Vrbnica Rail Route 4 on the Orient/East-Med Core Network Corridor. “This reconstructed facility will become a modern railway infrastructure in one place for cheaper, faster, and simpler border crossings. The joint border crossing in Bijelo Polje belongs to the railway interconnection of the TEN-T Core Route 4 and will not only improve ties between the two countries and their peoples, but will also stimulate economic activities and trade across the border,” said Riccardo Serri, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro.
In June 2024, the Government of Montenegro and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have signed a EUR 76.5 million loan agreement for the modernisation of Bar–Podgorica–Vrbnica rail line.
After the opening of the joint railway station, the two ministers had a bilateral meeting where they discussed the infrastructure connection between Montenegro and Serbia.
Serbia has reconstructed the rail section between Resnik and Valjevo (connecting the centre and western part of the country) and under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans* Serbia is seeking to secure co-financing for the reconstruction of the line from Valjevo to Vrbnica, a priority project that together with the future modernised Nis – Skopje railway will enhance cross border connection with North Macedonia, allowing trains to run at 200 km/h.
“When we reconstruct our 210 km section through Serbia and Montenegro, we will have a completely reconstructed railway from Belgrade which will become extremely important for freight and passenger transport. We will have faster trains and more passengers. We have seen it on the Belgrade – Novi Sad railway, which is used by 12,000 people every day,” Serbian Minister of Transport explained.
*The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans aims to develop region’s economy and to accelerate socio-economic convergence, as the plan offers Western Balkans some of benefits of EU membership. The strategy has the potential to double the size of region’s economy in the next decade. It was proposed a EUR 6 billion instrument to support all initiatives between 2024 and 2027.
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