Bulgaria and North Macedonia have signed an agreement for the joint construction of a 2.4-kilometre east-west cross-border rail tunnel connecting Gyueshevo and Kriva Palanka. The deal, signed on November 6, aims to establish a new rail link that will enhance trade and transport between the two neighbouring countries.
The project forms part of the European Union’s Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Western Balkans–Eastern Mediterranean Corridor. Once completed, it will connect Albania’s Adriatic port of Durres with Bulgaria’s Black Sea port of Varna via North Macedonia, strengthening regional and European connectivity.
According to Bulgarian news outlet Seenow, the Bulgarian section of the line is divided into four phases, with an estimated total investment exceeding €1.2 billion ($US 1.4 billion). The sections include the 2.4km tunnel-to-Gyueshevo link, Gyueshevo–Radomir, Radomir–Pernik, and Sofia–Pernik.
Construction bids for the first 2.4km section are already being accepted, with a submission deadline of November 11. The Gyueshevo–Radomir segment remains in the design phase, while the Radomir–Pernik section is currently under tender, with a contract expected to be awarded by the end of the month. The Sofia–Pernik stretch is still in the planning stage, with tendering expected next year.
On the North Macedonian side, the line from Kumanovo to the Bulgarian border represents a total investment of €810 million. The transport ministry plans to relaunch the tender next month for the 24km Kriva Palanka–border section, after a previous tender was cancelled last year due to excessive costs estimated at €560 million.
Progress has already been made on other portions of the project. The section from Kumanovo to Beljakovce opened in January, while construction on the Beljakovce–Kriva Palanka section continues. However, authorities have not yet announced when tunnelling work for the new cross-border segment will begin or when the project is expected to be completed.
North Macedonia’s Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski hailed the agreement as a milestone achievement. “I think this deal is a dream of generations on both sides of the border. It’s something we read and learned about as children,” he said.
Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov expressed optimism that the tunnel will transform regional transport. “I hope the start of this project will give new momentum to completing the entire railway, providing our citizens with faster, safer, and more environmentally friendly transport for both passengers and freight,” Karadjov stated.
Once completed, the cross-border tunnel will play a crucial role in linking the Western Balkans with the European railway system, boosting trade, tourism, and regional economic development across Southeast Europe.