Karakaçi: We are preparing the service contract for the Tirana–Durrës–Rinas rail transport; timetables and financing are being defined

Albania is preparing the Public Service Contract for passenger rail transport on the Tirana–Durrës–Rinas Airport corridor. The announcement was made by the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Enea Karakaçi, who said the contract aims to define the framework for providing the rail service, the standards, the operator’s responsibilities and the compensation mechanism.

During a meeting with representatives of major international companies, Karakaçi described the contract as an important step for the development of rail transport in the country and stressed that the market consultation aims to identify the most suitable solutions for operating the service.

The Tirana–Durrës–Rinas Airport project is part of the programme to revitalise and modernise the railway sector. According to the minister, it includes the rehabilitation of the existing line, the new link to the airport, the construction of stations and electrification.

Work on the rehabilitation and the stations is nearing completion, while electrification is expected to be completed within 2027.

“Investment in infrastructure, however important, is not the final goal. In fact, the final goal is for citizens to really feel the change, and for that we must also ensure a modern, regular, reliable and passenger-oriented rail service,” Karakaçi said.

According to him, the Public Service Contract for the Tirana–Airport–Durrës corridor will define elements such as the volume of service and train-kilometres, timetables, rolling stock, the ownership or leasing model, financing, maintenance, use of the depot in Shkozet, the mobilisation period, the duration of the contract, the compensation and indexation mechanism, ticket revenues and performance indicators.

The minister said the aim is not only to provide a certain number of kilometres of rail service, but to create a service that is measurable and accountable to citizens.

“We want a service that is measurable and accountable to citizens — on time, safe, reliable, well maintained and with a clearly defined quality,” he said.

Karakaçi also stressed that the procedure being prepared must guarantee competition, transparency and flexibility, while the consultation with companies aims to determine market solutions for rolling stock, financing, maintenance and mobilisation of the service.

Other railway projects

The minister announced that, alongside the Tirana–Durrës–Airport line, other projects for the development of the railway network are also advancing.

In the north, the Vorë–Hani i Hotit line, about 120 kilometres long, is being rehabilitated as part of Albania’s link with Montenegro and the European network. The project is co-financed by the EBRD, the EIB and the European Union. According to Karakaçi, the evaluation of bids is in its final phase and the winner is expected to be announced within this year.

Meanwhile, the Durrës–Rrogozhinë project is another important link in the network. The line is part of the core TEN-T network in the Western Balkans and of Corridor VIII. The rehabilitation envisages a modern infrastructure with a design speed of up to 120 kilometres per hour, modernised stations, and new signalling and telecommunications systems.

For this project too, according to the minister, the evaluation of bids is in its final phase and the winner is expected to be announced and the contract signed within this year.

The Rrogozhinë–Pogradec project is also being prepared, as a continuation of the Corridor VIII line. In parallel, the project for the rehabilitation of the Rrogozhinë–Fier–Vlorë line is being developed, together with the rail link to Vlorë Airport.

Also in focus is the Durrës–Pristina rail link, for which, in cooperation with the French Development Agency, work is under way on preparing a detailed technical project.

Alongside passenger transport, the minister said the necessary links for freight transport are also being built. One of them is the Sukth–Porto Romano link, which aims to create a direct rail connection with the new port at Porto Romano and to strengthen the intermodal link between rail and maritime transport.

“So what we are trying to build is a network that connects cities, airports, ports, tourist areas and international corridors,” Karakaçi declared.

The minister described this as the vision for revitalising the Albanian Railways, while stressing that the involvement of international and private operators aims to bring expertise and experience into the railway system, and to contribute to developing domestic capacities and transferring knowledge to Albanian Railways personnel, particularly in the field of maintenance.

Karakaçi also thanked the European and financial partners, including the EBRD, the EIB and the European Union’s consultants, for the assistance given in this process.