The Bulgarian government put out two tenders for the construction of vital arteries of the so-called Corridor VIII, a railway line which will connect the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. One of the projects is the line leading to North Macedonia, laying the foundation for the first-ever rail border crossing between the two countries.
The total for the two tenders is 576 million leva (294 million euros). The one for the construction of a line between Gyueshevo and the border entails 114 million leva (58 million euros) with completion expected for the end of 2028. A new 2.4-kilometre section which will stop 420 metres from the border will be laid and the station in Gyueshevo will be turned into a Schengen entry and exit point for freight and passengers.
The last 420 metres will have to wait
The last 420 metres will only be built once the future tunnel crossing the border between Bulgaria and North Macedonia will be completed, the Bulgarian ministry of transport said. Construction of this tunnel has not started yet, but the two countries signed an agreement for 69 million euros to make it happen by 2028. On the other hand, it needs to be mentioned that the railway network in North Macedonia will still need a massive upgrade on its east-west axis before Corridor VIII can be up and running.
Pernik–Radomir
The second and more expensive tender, with 462 million leva (236 million euros) allocated, is for the Pernik–Radomir line, in the west of the country on the way to North Macedonia. This will be a new 17-kilometre double track railway, with the removal of level crossings and renovation of stations included as well. The deadline for this project was set by the Bulgarian ministry for mid-2029.