The unfinished main project, its revision, unresolved land expropriation and the preparation of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study are the reasons why the reconstruction of the Golubovci - Bar railway cannot yet begin, so work on the 230 million euro project has been postponed to 2027, although it was previously announced for 2025.
The Railway Infrastructure Company (ŽICG), which manages this project, officially told "Vijesti" that they will announce a tender for the contractor this year, and that the main project for the reconstruction is in the "final phase of development and revision."
"The dynamics of its completion are conditioned by the complexity of technical solutions, especially in the route and facilities, as well as the need to comply with international standards and requirements of financial institutions. The tender for the selection of the contractor is expected in 2026, with the plan to conduct the tender procedure and select the contractor in the same year, after the completion of key preparatory activities (development of the main project, expropriation and implementation of the ESIA procedure). The start of works is planned for 2027, while the indicative duration of the works is estimated at approximately five years, depending on the final scope and structure of the project," said ŽICG.
They initially told the editorial team in early 2024 that work would begin in 2025, and then in June last year that they expected the main project to be completed by the end of 2025, while the tender for the contractor could be announced in late 2025 or early this year.
The government will have access to 63 million euros from a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), 50 million euros from a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well as 112,6 million euros in grants from the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), while 5,18 million euros will be allocated from the state treasury for this work. The reconstruction will include nearly 40 kilometers of open railway from Bar to Golubovaci, and the rehabilitation of the “Sozina” tunnel and the Ratac landslide is also planned.
ŽICG emphasized that the financial structure was defined through cooperation with the EIB and WBIF, and that the ESIA procedure is underway, which includes public participation for four months, and that they will sign a loan agreement with the EBRD this summer.
ŽICG and the Ministry disagree on deadlines
The Ministry of Transport told "Vijesti" that the project required additional time due to the complexity of obtaining environmental permits, as the railway also passes through the Skadar Lake National Park - which has pushed back the deadlines for all other procedures. While ŽPCG announces the duration of the works to approximately five years, the Ministry of Transport expects the railway renovation to be completed by mid-2030.
As they pointed out, due to insufficient maintenance, this section has collapsed, so the speed limit has been reduced to 70 kilometers per hour on most of it, with restrictions of 20 and 50 kilometers per hour in places affected by landslides (Sutomore - Bar, Virpazar - Sutomore). They added that the implementation of the project will contribute to improving the level of service, encourage the shift from road to rail transport, improve the sustainability of the system and reduce transport costs.
"The expected completion date of the project is the end of June 2030. The allocated funds are intended for the reconstruction project of the railway in the length of approximately 39,6 km of open track from the Golubovci station to the Bar station, 17 kilometers of station tracks and six kilometers of shunting tracks (including the Ratac landslide and the Sozina tunnel). Due to the sensitivity of the area of the railway route in question (national park zone), the procedure for obtaining environmental permits was complex, which required the participation of several relevant institutions in the decision-making process and defining the scope of work allowed for execution in such a sensitive area. The aforementioned activities required additional time and engagement of the designer and other project participants, as a result of which the activities on the preparation of project documentation were not completed within the planned deadline, which ultimately postponed the deadline for signing financial agreements with relevant institutions," stated the department it coordinates. Filip Radulović.
The Ministry of Transport also said that the Government signed a loan agreement with the EIB in December last year, and that a grant agreement with the WBIF was also signed in the same period. They announced that the procedure for signing the agreement with the EBRD is expected to be launched in the coming period, and that this also depends on the bank's internal procedures.
They added that 63 million from the EIB loan will be forwarded to ŽICG as a non-refundable loan as it implements the project, while the basis for signing the contract was the Budget Law and the Decision on Borrowing for 2025, which provided for an arrangement with the EBRD and EIB to finance the "Electrified Single-Track Modernization Project" with 113 million euros.
They also point out that the Vrbnica - Bar railway is the main railway line and part of the international Belgrade - Bar, which connects Montenegro and the Port of Bar with the Western Balkans and the countries of Central Europe, i.e. with the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and corridors "VII" and "X".
They explained that the modernization will achieve speeds of at least 80 kilometers per hour, compliance with European standards, renovate bridges, culverts, slopes and retaining walls, replace the upper machinery, renew the contact networks and traction substations, while in the Sozina tunnel, rehabilitation of the portal and lining, renewal of the subgrade and drainage, replacement of the track structure and contact network will be carried out...
This section of the railway was put into operation at the end of November 1959 and is used for passenger and freight traffic.
This project is part of the expansion of the main trans-European network corridors between neighboring countries, in order to better connect the Port of Bar with these corridors and Serbia, as the Golubovci - Bar railway currently does not meet conditions such as installations, a speed of 100 kilometers per hour and the reception of freight trains longer than 750 meters.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
