Skopje, 29 October 2022 (MIA) – Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski and Bulgarian counterpart Galab Donev will attend Saturday the official launch of the works on the railroad leading to Bulgaria, which construction was stopped in June 2020. The event will also be attended by First Deputy PM Artan Grubi, Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski, Railways Infrastructure Director Hari Lokvenec, EU Ambassador David Geer, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Head of North Macedonia, Andi Aranitasi. Construction works include two of the three sections within the 88,2km-long eastern end of railway Corridor VIII (Kumanovo-Beljakovce – 31km, Beljakovce-Kriva Palanka – 34km and Kriva Palanka-Bulgaria border – 24km). The EU Delegation to Skopje says the Beljakovce – Kriva Palanka section is the subject of EU assistance provided through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). An EU-WBIF funded grant of EUR 75 million, supplemented with EUR 1 million national contribution, is allocated to bring this railway section up to modern standards. The works will be carried out from October 2022 to the end of 2025 and include 5.5 km-long tunnels, railway bridges, over and underpasses, railway stations and halts, as well as a new signalling and telecommunication system. Additional EU-funded grant of EUR 210 million is in the pipeline for completion of the Eastern end of railway Corridor VIII up to the border with Bulgaria. Once completed, the railway section is expected to increase the annual freight volume for 20% by 2040 and provide access to modern means of transport to more than 350,000 people. Travel time will be reduced, as well as air and noise pollution. The construction of first section Kumanovo-Beljakovce will continue after an agreement worth EUR 40,5 million was signed with new contractor “Strabag” this July. “”Gulermak” will work on the second section worth EUR 155 million. Fifty-four percent of the first section has been built and the rest should be completed by 1-1.5 year, whereas the second should be ready by the end of 2025. National institutions are planning to complete eastern end of Corridor VIII by 2027, followed by the western end section Kichevo-Lin (Albania) by 2030.