site.btaBulgaria, North Macedonia Reach Agreement on Technical Parameters for Railway Corridor 8 Construction

Representatives of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia participated in a working meeting to discuss the Railway Corridor 8 project on Thursday in Sofia, the Transport Ministry said. The meeting was initially planned to take place on October 16 in Brussels. 

The two sides exchanged information, outlined a timeframe and shared their experiences on technical issues and topics related to the construction of Corridor 8, in particular the procedures for the implementation and future operation of the Deve Bair railway tunnel. The meeting was attended by Deputy Transport Minister Biser Minchev, North Macedonia's State Secretary for Transport, Stefan Volkanovski, Directors General of the railway infrastructure companies of both countries, representatives of the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), among others.

After analysing the technical options and assessing the risks, the meeting participants agreed that the Deve Bair railway tunnel was more appropriate to be built by a single contractor.

EIB and EBRD representatives expressed their support for this technical solution and their willingness to assist in the preparation and conduct of the tender procedure. Which of the parties will conduct the tender for the tunnel contractor will be decided in subsequent discussions with potential financing institutions.