The railway is supervised by 14 employees: The agency recently started operating with a loan of 450.000 euros

The Railway Agency officially started operating in June, currently has 14 employees, and the initial capital for its operation was provided through a government loan of 450.000 euros. It generated its first income of 4,45 thousand euros from the issuance of certificates.

This was officially told to "Vijesti" by the Ministry of Transport, which coordinates Filip Radulović.

The Railway Agency was officially established on January 7, when the former controller of this sector, the Railway Administration, was closed down. The formation of this regulator was envisaged by the Law on Railways, which the Parliament adopted at the end of July last year in order to further harmonise the domestic legislation with the legislation of the European Union (EU). The company is headquartered in Podgorica, has a director and a Council of three members, and is financed by fees from railway companies, issuing licenses, approvals...

"The Railway Agency began its operational operations in June 2026, after establishing the basic legal and organizational framework and hiring the first part of the employees. So far, the Agency has generated revenue from the fee for issuing certificates for entities responsible for maintenance (ECM - Entity in Charge of Maintenance) in the amount of 4.450 euros. A loan of 450.000 euros was provided for the initial phase of the Agency's work. The funds were approved on May 18, 2026, based on the Loan Agreement concluded with the Government (Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport)," the transport department stated.

The Agency is scheduled to repay the loan within five years, two of which will be a grace period, after which it will repay 36 installments of 12.500 euros each.

The loan agreement was approved by the Government in mid-May, and it states that it can be unilaterally terminated if the Agency fails to fulfill its obligations. In the event of termination of the agreement, the Agency will have to pay off the entire due and outstanding debt within two weeks.

The Ministry of Transport stated that there were no changes in the Agency's management, so the Council appointed in February still includes the following members: Milan Bankovic i Demir Nurkovic, while the president of that body Lazar Miljanic. Their mandates last five years, while Miljanić and Banković have degrees in traffic engineering, and Nurković has a master's degree in economics.

The Director of the Agency is Denis Lukacs, who was appointed by the Council at the end of April.

"The systematization of jobs was adopted by the Agency Council on April 30, 2026, which created formal conditions for hiring employees and forming the organizational structure of the Agency. In May 2026, public advertisements for hiring employees were published, after which, in June, ten employees were hired, thus forming the basic operational structure necessary for the start of work. The selection process for two more jobs is currently underway, while the remaining positions will be filled in phases, in accordance with the priorities, needs of the Agency and available financial resources," the transport department said.

After the closure of the Railway Administration, ten of their employees were transferred to the Ministry of Transport, which made their status uncertain - because their jobs were not systematized. The Ministry emphasized that five of them continued to work in that department, while the remaining five applied for public advertisements that the Agency published in May. They claim that after the selection process, they were employed by the Agency and received employment contracts.

The Agency's jobs are defined by the adopted job classification, and the hiring of employees is carried out in accordance with the Agency's needs, legal procedures and competencies entrusted to it by the Railway Law. In accordance with the Railway Law, which regulates the legal status, competencies, organization, management and operations of the Agency, the establishment of all necessary acts for the smooth operation of the institution is underway. The Statute has been prepared and adopted in accordance with legal deadlines and represents the basis for further institutional functioning, while the Agency's Work Program with a financial plan has been prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Transport for further action," the Ministry said.

The formation of the Agency is intended to regulate the conditions and methods of managing railway infrastructure and transport, as well as to take steps and conditions to meet two of the four final benchmarks for closing the negotiation chapter 14 - Transport Policy. According to the new Law, the Government will sign five-year contracts with companies that want to engage in railway business, while the Agency will issue them licenses.