The airport train will not be operational in the next 3 years

-

The National Program for Railway Infrastructure in the period between 2019 – 2021 doesn’t have the project for setting a railway line from the Skopje railway station to the International Airport Skopje evidenced. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has included this project in its National Transportation Strategy 2018-2020, but for its realization, a feasibility study will have to be prepared, including the project documentation for the building of a railway line in the length of 3-5 km and a railway station near the airport.

The extended version of the National Program for Railway Infrastructure for the next 3 years was sent for analysis by the MPs at the 102nd session at the Parliament. The document includes already started projects for the reconstruction of the railway line in Corridor 10, the building of the railway line towards Bulgaria and the preparation of feasibility studies and technical documentation for several projects, but not the airport railway.

Meta agency already informed that the state and TAV should have a joint preparation of the project’s feasibility study. If the introduction of the airport train is justified by the feasibility study, it might open the doors for applying for funds for the project either at the EU or international financial institutions.

As the National transportation strategy states, the usage of the railway infrastructure in the Skopje region during 2015 was only 19.1% of its full capacity. On the other hand, the air traffic from the International airport Skopje continues to grow, with an expectation that by the year 2022 it will reach 3 million passengers annually. The railway line from the airport to Skopje would be one of the lines that should decrease the traffic in the capital city.