2016 CONNECTIVITY PROJECT

ALBANIA Mediterranean Corridor: Montenegro - Albania - Greece

Rail Interconnection

Partners: The Mediterranean Corridor links the

x Ministry of Finance Iberian Peninsula with the Hungarian-
and Ministry of Ukrainian border. Its extension into the
Transport and Western Balkans includes the CVIII
Infrastructure, Albania Tirana - Durrës rail section, which
x Albanian Railways connects the former Yugoslav
S.A. (Hekurudha Republic of Macedonia and the
Shqiptare/HSH) Albanian mainland to Durrës and the
Adriatic Sea. This section has not
benefited of any major overhaul since
Estimated cost: its commissioning and it currently Durrës Railway Station, Albania.
x €85.6 million allows for travel speeds under 60
km/h. It has not been electrified and Results:
the telecommunication and signalling
EU contribution: system is obsolete, causing frequent x 34.5 km of railway track, from Tir-
x €32.9 million (works interruptions in traffic. As a result, ana to Durrës, partly rehabilitated
and supplies) passenger services are seasonal and to modern, TEN-T standards,
x €2.6 million (project freight transport is inefficient. including signalling and
implementation telecommunication (but excluding
This investment project concerns the
support) electrification).
rehabilitation of the Tirana - Durrës
railway section and the construction of x 7.4 km of new railway track built
Estimated EBRD between Tirana and Rinas
a new railway link to the Tirana inter-
loan: international airport.
national airport, including signalling
x €36.9 million x Increase in passenger and freight
and telecommunication systems. It
is part of a Core Corridor on the travel speed from 60 km/h to 120
indicative extension of the Trans- km/h, as well as in freight axle load
Beneficiary to 22.9 tonnes, throughout the
European Transport Network (TEN-T)
contribution: Tirana - Durrës section.
to the Western Balkans.
x €13.2 million
Transport

HSH Train nearby Durrës.

 Map of Tirana - Durrës Rail Interconnection.

Estimated Start Date: The project is now at detailed design Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and
x Late 2018 stage, with feasibility and Montenegro, as well further transport
environmental impact assessment links with Greece and Bulgaria, along
studies completed with previous WBIF the Mediterranean Corridor.
Estimated End Date: financial assistance. The detailed
x End of 2021 designs were approved by MTI in early Benefits
2017, and the draft pre-qualification
documents for works are under review x More than 1,375 new jobs created
Estimated Loan with the EBRD. The new development during construction as well as
Repayment Period: will not have significant social or en- operation and maintenance
x 15 years vironmental impacts as most of the periods.
facilities will be built on the route of the x Direct access to modern means of
existing rail track, while the new sec- transport for more than 1 million
tion passes mostly through people living along the Tirana -
agricultural areas. Detailed Durrës railway route.
environmental impact mitigation x Reduced operational and
measures have been planned for during maintenance costs for railway
construction, including a noise operators active in Albania,
monitoring programme. estimated at more than €60 million.
x Savings in cost of travel time,
The project complements two other
estimated at more than €55 million.
planned improvements on CVIII and
x Improved environmental conditions
R2 sections on the Mediterranean
by reducing freight and passenger
Corridor, as follows:
transport by road.
x R2 Durrës – Vora – Shkodra – x Improved trade flows with countries
Hani Hotit/border with Montenegro in the region and thus a positive
section (140 km) impact on the broader economy of
Albania.
x CVIII Durrës – Vlore –
Pogradec/border with the former
Transport

Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

section (137 km).
Once complete, these two additional
sections will ensure interoperable and
multimodal transport connections
between Albania and the former