2015 CONNECTIVITY PROJECT * Orient/East-Med Corridor: Fushë Kosovë/ – Border with Railway Section

Partners: The Orient/East-Med Corridor crosses • Kosovo Railways Kosovo from the north to the south on Infrastructure JSC Route 10, from the border with North (Infrakos) Macedonia to the one with , and • Ministry of constitutes Kosovo’s connection to the Infrastructure wider region by rail. The entire track is • Ministry of Finance in poor condition, with serious structural constraints that limit traffic to 60km/h. Route 10 is part of the extension of the

Core Network Corridors of the Trans- Hani i Elezit Railway Station at the border with European Transport Network (TEN-T) North Macedonia. (c) Infrakos Estimated total into the Western Balkans. It has a total investment: length of 256 km long, out of which 149 Fushë Kosovë /Kosovo Polje – border • €94.15 million km are in Kosovo. with North Macedonia rail section and associated railway stations to modern, The route in Kosovo will be EU contribution: TEN-T standards. rehabilitated in three phases: • €38.54 million • Phase 1: Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Results: EBRD loan: Polje – border with North • €19.20 million Macedonia; • 67 km of railway track and 13 • Phase 2: Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo railway stations and stops EIB loan: Polje – Mitrovicë/Mitrovica; upgraded to modern, TEN-T • €19.25 million • Phase 3: Mitrovicë/Mitrovica – standards. border with Serbia. • Increase in passenger and freight travel speed to 100 km/h and up to This investment project covers the 120 km/h as well as freight axel rehabilitation and upgrade of the load to 22.5 tonnes.

Beneficiary contribution: • €13.07 million

Transport Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje Railway Station. (c) Infrakos

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Previous WBIF support: • €3.24 million (project preparation and implementation support)

EBRD grant: • €0.95 million (project implementation support and capacity building)

Map of the Orient/East-Med Corridor (Route10), with Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje – border with North Macedonia railway section. Start date: • June 2019 Phase 1 investments will enable Benefits:

outdated switches, tracks and trackbed,

culverts, bridges and tunnels along the • Safe and efficient for Estimated end date: Fushë Kosovë / Kosovo Polje – border approximately 50% of the • Mid of 2021 with North Macedonia route to be population of Kosovo.

replaced or renovated. • An investment of €94.15 million

that is expected to bring at least The project is at the implementation double that amount into the local stage, with the construction works economy in the medium to long contracted in January 2019. The term. detailed design and tender dossier • Passenger and cargo rail capacity have been completed with assistance and travel time significantly from the Western Balkans Investment improved. Framework (WBIF). Additional financial • Reduced track and rolling stock support for the supervision of works maintenance costs and fuel was granted by the WBIF in 2014, as consumption. well, and the technical assistance • Railway transport systems in activities will be implemented in parallel Kosovo interconnected to those in with the construction works. North Macedonia. The new development will not have • Railway network in Kosovo significant social or environmental integrated into the Orient/East- impacts as the new facilities will be built Med Corridor, connecting the on the route of the existing railway Western Balkans to Austria, track. Greece and Bulgaria.

With connections to the Orient/East- Med Corridor, passenger and freight

numbers are expected to increase

significantly. It will give rise to an interoperable railway route in Kosovo providing safe transport services to people and businesses in the region and wider Europe.

Transport www.wbif.eu Last updated on 17/06/2019.