Skopje, 9 April 2024 (MIA) - Macedonian Railways marked the 151st anniversary of its existence at an event Tuesday. 

“Together we will transform the Macedonian Railways and make it European and modern. With the liberalization we have launched a new chapter for the railways and created new opportunities, but there is no need for concern regarding your jobs,” the Deputy Prime Minister for economic affairs, Fatmir Bytyqi, said at the event. 

The Deputy PM said liberalization would mean more funds for the modernization of railroads and the expansion of the railroad network, thereby increasing the efficiency and efficacy of rail traffic in the country. 

“We shouldn’t fear liberalization but accept it as an opportunity to make use of our strategic location. With the development offered by the liberalization of rail traffic, we will lay new foundations supporting and stimulating economic activity, making our country an even more attractive option for EU businesses, who seek secure, close and efficient solutions for closer supply chains. The concept of near-shoring is becoming crucial for the development of our economy, and the railroad has a strategic and key role to play in positioning North Macedonia at the heart of European supply chains,” Bytyqi said. 

Minister of Transport and Communications, Blagoj Bochvarski, said the construction of Corridor VIII as part of the regional transport network is a prerequisite for sustainable economic growth and the development of the entire region. 

“The first section from Kumanovo to Beljakovce which we expect to be constructed this year is at over 50 percent completion, while the second section, from Beljakovce to Kriva Palanka is at over 20 percent and is being constructed at the required dynamic. What awaits us as a serious challenge is the construction of the third section from Kriva Palanka to the Deve Bair border crossing, which is the most complex section,” Bochvarski said. 

The Minister also mentioned the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Serbia over a regional high-speed railway connecting Belgrade and Skopje initially and connecting to Thessaloniki in the second stage of the project. 

According to the director of the Public Enterprise for Railway Infrastructure, Zoran Trifunovski, the railway remains the main driver of transport and development, “which is why,” he said, “the focus is on investments.” 

“We are planning the connection with Bulgaria alongside the EU accession by 2030. This project is of great regional importance and should bring increased economic growth and goods exchange in the Western Balkan countries and beyond,” Trifunovski said, noting that documentation is being prepared for the construction of the western rail route of Corridor VIII, as well as project documentation for the rehabilitation of Corridor X.

The first train powered by a steam locomotive arrived at the Veles railway station on April 9, 1873.