The construction of the first rail border crossing between Bulgaria and North Macedonia is encountering some obstacles. Despite political agreements and deals with contractors, the Bulgarian government is still looking for 50 million euros to pay for the project.
“A contract was signed with a contractor for the railway section in February, but the necessary 50 million euros have not been secured”, the Bulgarian ministry of transport underlined. Until the finances are secured, the project cannot concretely start. For this reason, the ministries of transport and finance will look for money from the state budget.
The new line would be a 2.4-kilometre tunnel under the Deve Bair mountain separating the two countries. According to the latest official statements, the railway should be ready by 2030, but the lack of funds might extend the timeline. It would be part of the Sofia-Kumanovo section and of the larger future Corridor VIII, connecting Adriatic ports with the Black Sea via rail.
