On 6th November 2025, Bulgaria and North Macedonia signed an agreement on the construction and operation of a cross-border railway tunnel through the Deve Bair mountain range on the Sofia – Skopje corridor. The agreement serves to complete the Trans-European Railway Corridor 8 and connects the two countries by rail for the first time. The Kumanovo – Beljakovci section on the North Macedonian side has been completed at a cost of EUR 79 million, while the Beljakovci – Kriva Palanka section, costing EUR 155 million, is under construction and is scheduled for completion in October 2026. The start of construction for the Kriva Palanka – Bulgarian border section, costing approximately EUR 455 million, is to be planned shortly. An additional EUR 110 million will be spent on the installation of signalling systems and the electrification of the Kumanovo – border section. A total of EUR 810 million, including EUR 200 million from EU funds, is earmarked for the extension to the border.
