Gyueshevo, 6 November 2025 (MIA) - North Macedonia and Bulgaria have defined activities and shared obligations for the construction of the Corridor VIII cross-border railway tunnel with an agreement signed Thursday by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski and his Bulgarian counterpart Grozdan Karadjov at the Gyueshevo railway station.

According to MIA’s reporter at the signing, the agreement on the preparation, construction and operation of the tunnel that will be a cross-border point between the two countries as part of the Corridor VIII railway directly linking Skopje and Sofia, was signed in the attendance of representatives of the European Commission, NATO, the United States, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the World Bank. The event was also attended by the US Ambassador to North Macedonia, Angela Aggeler.

The designed length of the tunnel is approximately 2.4 kilometers, with 1.189,30 meters on Macedonian territory and 1.193,70 meters on Bulgarian territory. 

“This agreement is a dream of generations on both sides of the border, something we read about, something we were taught as children, that the two countries, the two capitals, Sofia and Skopje, should be connected by a railway link,” said Deputy Prime Minister Nikoloski at the signing ceremony in Gyueshevo, the westernmost and highest railway station in Bulgaria, at 933 meters above sea level. 

Karadjov noted that the signing of the agreement is exceptionally important and marks the realization of a dream shared by many generations. “We are opening and reconstructing a railway that is over 100 years old. Nikoloski and I have the honor to realize this project,” Karadjov said.

The Skopje–Sofia railway, whose construction began in 1994, is being built in three phases. According to estimates from relevant institutions, the railway is expected to increase freight transport by over 30 percent and passenger traffic by 20–25 percent in the initial years after completion. The construction and reconstruction of the first section, Kumanovo–Beljakovce, spanning 30.8 kilometers, has been completed (costing EUR 40.5 million). Currently underway is the construction of a new and reconstruction of the existing section from Beljakovce to Kriva Palanka, 34 kilometers long and valued at over EUR 155 million, with 35 percent of the work completed and a deadline set for the end of 2026.

For the third section, from Kriva Palanka to the border with the Republic of Bulgaria, which will include the tunnel, a call for the selection of a contractor is expected next month. This section, 23.4 kilometers long, will feature 22 planned tunnels, including the cross-border one, and 52 bridges, making it the most challenging part of the project. A previous tender that failed, at the beginning of the new government's term in 2024, saw the initial estimated cost rise from EUR 340 million to EUR 560 million.

After several months of delay, North Macedonia and Bulgaria reached a ministerial-level agreement at the end of June to advance work on the railway connection. This was followed by a meeting of delegations from both countries on July 16 in Brussels, where priorities were identified, including the reissuing of the tender for the railway section between Kriva Palanka and the entrance to the cross-border tunnel by the end of 2025. 

On the western wing of railway Corridor VIII, construction of a railway from Kichevo to Lin, Albania is planned, with a project already prepared. The government recently announced a project to reconstruct the line Skopje-Jegunovce-Tetovo-Gostivar-Kichevo spanning 103 kilometers. A EUR 5.3 million EU grant has been secured for the development of an environmental study, feasibility study, and preparation of tender documentation. A contractor is expected to be selected within two years.

Photo: MIA