The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development put €30 million toward helping Albania rebuild and electrify a key railway line, joining the European Union and European Investment Bank in a €120 million project to modernize the country’s rail network, according to official announcement.
The money will upgrade 34 kilometers of track between the port city of Durrës and Rrogozhinë in central Albania, including rebuilding station buildings for state-owned railway company Hekurudha Shqiptare. The EIB matched EBRD’s €30 million loan while the EU gave €60 million in grants and technical help.
Albania’s rail system needs major work after decades of poor investment left much of the network in bad shape. The country wants better connections with European transport networks and to meet EU environmental standards as it pushes for membership. Modern rail links could boost trade and tourism while cutting road traffic and pollution.
“This investment reflects our continued support for Albania’s rail transformation,” said Donald Mishaxhiu, EBRD’s Regional Head of Infrastructure for the Western Balkans. Albanian Finance Minister Petrit Malaj called the project “a transformative milestone” that will strengthen connections while helping Albania integrate into wider European transport networks.
The Durrës-Rrogozhinë line sits on Pan-European Corridor VIII, a 1,500-kilometer route linking southern Italy with Bulgaria’s Black Sea ports. The upgraded line will create Albania’s first direct rail link with North Macedonia, boosting cross-border trade and travel across the Western Balkans.
The project builds on EBRD’s earlier rail work in Albania including the Tirana-Durrës and Vore-Hani i Hotit lines, supporting the country’s push to shift freight and passengers from roads to cleaner rail transport.
