BULGARIA and North Macedonia signed an agreement on November 6 for the joint construction of a 2.4km east-west cross-border rail tunnel between Gyushevo and Kriva Palanka.

The project, that will create a new rail link between the two countries, is part of the ongoing development of the European Union’s (EU) TEN-T Western Balkans - Eastern Mediterranean Corridor, connecting Albania's Adriatic port of Durres to Bulgaria's Black Sea port of Varna via North Macedonia.

According to Bulgarian news outlet Seenow, the line in Bulgaria is divided into four sections, with total investment estimated at over €1.2bn ($US 1.4bn). The four sections are:

  • a 2.4km section from the tunnel to the border village of Gyueshevo. The government has already tendered construction work, with a November 11deadline for bids
  • Gyueshevo - Radomir: at the design stage, with work expected to continue for six months, and tendering expected from mid-2026
  • Radomir - Pernik: tender in progress, with a contract set to be awarded by the end of November, and
  • Sofia - Pernik: in the planning phase, with a construction tender expected next year.

On North Macedonia's side, the total investment for the construction of the line from Kumanovo to the Bulgarian border is valued at €810m.

Next month, the transport ministry hopes to relaunch a tender for the 24km section between Kriva Palanka and the Bulgarian border. The previous tender, launched in December 2023, was cancelled last year, when the estimated cost of €560m was deemed too expensive.

The section between Kumanovo and Beljakovce opened in January this year, while the Beljakovce - Kriva Palanka section is under construction.

It is unclear when tunnelling work is likely to begin and no date has yet been given for its completion.

"I think this deal is a dream of generations on both sides of the border. It's something we read and learned about as children,” says North Macedonia's transport minister, Aleksandar Nikoloski.

"I hope the start of this project will give new momentum to completing the entire railway, providing our citizens with faster, safer, and more environmentally friendly transport for both passengers and freight,” says Grozdan Karadjov, Bulgaria's deputy prime minister and minister of transport and communications.

For detailed data on rail projects across Europe, subscribe to IRJ Pro.