Nikoloski: 5 to 6 billion euros for Corridors 8 and 10, bids for the railway to Bulgaria due by January 20, 2027
The figure comes from an interview for the ERNO network and the published reports carry no breakdown by project, while Corridor 10 has no specifics.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski said in an interview for the regional network ERNO, published on October 26, that North Macedonia is investing 5 to 6 billion euros in the infrastructure of Corridors 8 and 10. According to him, the two corridors intersect in North Macedonia, which is a “unique position” that the country must use to remain a competitive transit route.
What is Corridor 8? It is a route connecting the Adriatic and the Black Sea through Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria. In November 2025, North Macedonia and Bulgaria signed an agreement to prepare, build and operate a cross-border railway tunnel, which the European Commission assessed as significant for regional and European connectivity.
The most concrete figure concerns the eastern railway section, phase 3, from Kriva Palanka to the Bulgarian border, valued by the EBRD at about 560 million euros. Financing includes loans from the EBRD and the European Investment Bank, as well as European grants. The international tender for the new railway was announced in September 2026, and bids are due by January 20, 2027. According to the source, the financing structure is defined, but construction has not started.
What is Corridor 10? It is a north–south route meant to strengthen links between Central Europe and the Aegean Sea. The checked reports have no specific projects, costs or deadlines for it, so we cannot say what part of the 5–6 billion relates to it.
Nikoloski says the European Commission, the EIB and the EBRD have given positive assessments of the infrastructure work. That is his statement, and we do not have those institutions' assessments in the reported text.
How should the figure be read? 5 to 6 billion euros is a large amount, but the report has no breakdown of how much is already invested, how much is contracted and how much is still to be secured. Without such a breakdown, the figure shows ambition and the total value of the projects, not an amount already spent or secured. That is important to distinguish, especially for long-term infrastructure projects.
What is not known? It is not known which specific sections are included in the figure, or how much has already been paid. It is not known when construction of the railway to Bulgaria could begin, since the tender is still collecting bids. Nor are the deadlines for Corridor 10 known.
What does it mean? The railway to Bulgaria is the most concrete step, with a tender running until January. The real result will be measured by whether bids arrive on time and when construction starts.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 27, 2026
