After an 84-year hiatus, Sofia and Skopje will build the Deve Bair railway tunnel

After 84 years of neglect, the Sofia – Skopje railway connection is about to be revived. A key step towards resuming its construction was taken with the signing of the agreement for the construction of the Deve Bair cross-border tunnel.

It was signed by the transport ministers of Bulgaria and North Macedonia in Gyueshevo, and the ceremony was attended by the ambassadors of EU and NATO countries, who traveled to Gyueshevo on the Corona Express train.

Bulgarian Transport Minister Grozdan Karadzhov emphasized that today "brings back to life a more than century-old idea—the railway connection between Sofia and Skopje," whose first designs date back to 1897. He recalled that in 1942 the line reached Gyueshevo, but remained interrupted due to wars and political divisions.

The line is part of transport corridor number 8. It is 1,350 km long, of which 747 km are on Bulgarian territory. In Bulgaria, only the last 2.4-kilometer border section between Gyueshevo and Deva Bair remains to be built.

Bulgaria is taking on the largest share of the route, both in terms of kilometers and investment. And we are doing so because this line is strategic for the region, for the European Union, and for NATO," Karadzhov said, as quoted by the press center of the relevant ministry.

He recalled that the railway is part of the transport security of Southeast Europe and the connectivity of the Alliance on its southeastern flank. He also emphasized the need for the two countries to work with respect and mutual trust.

We recall that the agreement was reached after a long process of coordination. The approval of the final text by the Bulgarian cabinet in October paved the way for the signing.

The railway link is part of the extremely important Corridor 8, connecting the Adriatic (Durres) with the Black Sea (Burgas/Varna), and is a strategic element of the European transport corridor "Western Balkans - Eastern Mediterranean."

The Bulgarian side has already announced two key public procurement contracts worth a total of over BGN 576 million, which are to be completed by 2029. North Macedonia has also demonstrated its commitment by accepting a €3.7 million grant from the EIB in August 2025 to prepare the tender procedure for its section – from Kriva Palanka to the tunnel.

Translated with DeepL.