The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has yet to make a feasibility study about the justifiability of introducing a direct train from the International Airport Skopje to the Transportation Center. In a statement for Meta agency, representatives of the ministry stated that they are yet to decide from which international financial institution they will apply for funding in order to accomplish this project.
-Since it’s about a big project, we are expecting that the financing will be supported by international financial institutions – stressed the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
In the National Transportation Study for the period between 2018 -2030 it was estimated that the building of an airport train would cost 30 million euros, a sum that is confirmed by the ministry. They also say that this sum is necessary only for the building of the railway branch line from the current railway line Skopje – Kumanovo to the airport and for the building of an airport railways station.
Additional assets will be necessary for the acquisition of new trains that would travel on this destination.
Regarding who should be the investor in the airport train project, the Ministry states that the feasibility study will provide the best answer to this question.
-We expect that a number of state institutions will take part in – stressed the Ministry.
This project would allow citizens to travel the distance between the Skopje airport and the city center two times faster and four times less expensive compared to the current ticket price. The future trains could transport over five times more passengers compared to current busses and this railway line could also be used by citizens that live and work in Skopje’s eastern suburbs.
TAV Macedonia, as concessioner of the Skopje airport, has already stated that they want this project to be done but that they wouldn’t want to invest in it. The City of Skopje stated that a direct railway line towards the airport is a project that is out of the territory of the capital city and is out of their jurisdiction.
