In North Macedonia, the 31 km railway line between Kumanovo and Beljakovce, which is part of the Pan-European Corridor VIII, was put into operation. The line is intended to improve regional connectivity for both freight and passenger transport. Corridor VIII is intended to connect North Macedonia with Bulgaria and Albania and is supported by the EU. In the long term, the corridor will connect the Albanian port of Durrës with Sofia in Bulgaria and the port of Varna on the Black Sea. A new passenger service between Skopje and Kumanovo is due to start in the coming weeks, with plans to extend it to Beljakovce on certain days. Further phases of the corridor will require additional agreements and funding to achieve the long-term goal of regional connectivity.
