Corridor 8: Tender Coming for Final Stretch and Cross-Border Railway Tunnel Linking North Macedonia to Bulgaria
The 2.4-kilometer tunnel will link the Kriva Palanka–Bulgaria railway stretch, part of a section featuring 22 tunnels and 52 bridges.
After three decades of planning, North Macedonia's railway link to Bulgaria is entering its final phase. A tender is expected to be announced in the coming weeks for the last stretch of Corridor 8 — the 23.4-kilometer section from Kriva Palanka to the Bulgarian border, which includes 22 tunnels and 52 bridges, among them the shared cross-border tunnel with Bulgaria.
The tunnel itself will run roughly 2.4 kilometers, with 1,189 meters on North Macedonia's side and 1,193 meters on the Bulgarian side. The construction agreement was signed on November 6, 2025, by transport ministers Aleksandar Nikoloski and Grozdan Karadjov, in the presence of representatives from the European Commission, the World Bank, and other international institutions.
The project's first two sections are already progressing: the Kumanovo–Beljakovce line is complete, while the 34-kilometer Beljakovce–Kriva Palanka section is about 35 percent finished, with completion targeted by the end of 2026. The EU has provided a €5.3 million grant for studies and tender documentation, also covering the corridor's western branch.
Officials project that full railway integration with Bulgaria will increase cargo transport by more than 30 percent and passenger traffic by 20 to 25 percent.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · September 26, 2026
