Bulgaria, North Macedonia set to sign rail tunnel deal

Transport officials from Bulgaria and North Macedonia plan to formalize construction plans for a cross-border rail tunnel during a ceremony at Gyueshevo station on Thursday. Ministers Grozdan Karadzhov and Aleksandar Nikoloski will sign the agreement authorizing the project linking their nations by underground passage.

The proposed tunnel stretches approximately 2.5 kilometers with Bulgarian territory accounting for half that distance. Engineers view the passage as essential infrastructure for the Western Balkans to Eastern Mediterranean transport route and the eighth strategic corridor. Once operational, the tunnel will establish the first direct rail connection joining the countries while strengthening shipping routes from the Black Sea toward the Adriatic.

The project addresses a longstanding gap in regional transportation networks. Completion will enable freight and passenger trains to move between the neighboring states without requiring alternative routing through other countries.