Skopje to Pristina by Train in 50 Minutes by the End of 2027 - If Kosovo Finishes Its Last Tunnel on Time

From the centre of Pristina to the centre of Skopje in 50 minutes, by train. That's the picture painted by Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski, who announced that the line could be up and running by the end of next year. With one big caveat: the train leaves when Kosovo finishes its part.

On the Kosovo side, the railway is being modernised and one more tunnel still has to be dug through. Nikoloski says he has met the Kosovo transport minister twice over the past month. Once they finish there, the Macedonian side will need another four to six months to get its track ready.

10,000 vehicles a day

The minister defends the line with traffic figures. According to him, 30 percent of the vehicles in Skopje come in from the west, 30 percent from the east and around 40 percent from the north. More than 10,000 vehicles travel to and from Kosovo every day. "If we manage to get them onto a train and have them get from the centre of Pristina to the centre of Skopje in exactly 50 minutes, I'm convinced it will help reduce pollution," Nikoloski says.

Part of the route on Macedonian territory is also meant to become part of Skopje's future commuter train. After the first line, Zelenikovo - New Railway Station, the next ones are planned towards Volkovo and Gjorče Petrov, as well as towards Ilinden and Agjino Selo.

The railways that never arrive

The announcement comes with a reminder of how slowly railway projects move. Towards Bulgaria, the 30.8-kilometre Kumanovo - Beljakovce section was completed in December 2024. The next one, Beljakovce - Kriva Palanka, around 34 kilometres long, is still under construction and is due to be finished in 2028. Construction of the last section to the border, around 23 kilometres, is supposed to start in May 2027, with a financial package of around 560 million euros in European loans and grants. On Corridor 10, the modernisation from Tabanovce to Gevgelija is due to start in April 2027.

So the train to Pristina depends on someone else's tunnel, and the train to Sofia on deadlines that are already slipping. When the minister says "by the end of next year", how much of that depends on Skopje - and how much on everyone else?