Albania has begun preparing the Public Service Contract for passenger rail transport on the Tirana–Durrës–Rinas Airport line.
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Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Enea Karakaçi announced that the document will determine how the service operates, the standards that must be met, the operator’s obligations and the compensation scheme.
Speaking at a meeting with representatives of major international companies, Karakaçi said the contract represents an important step toward modernizing rail transport.
According to him, dialogue with the market aims to identify the most efficient alternatives for operating the line.
The Tirana–Durrës–Rinas Airport corridor is part of the plan to rebuild and modernize Albania’s railway system.
The project includes reconstructing the existing line, building a new connection to the airport, constructing stations and electrifying the railway.
While work to rehabilitate the line and build the stations is nearing completion, electrification is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
“Investment in infrastructure, however important, is not the ultimate goal. In fact, the ultimate goal is for citizens to genuinely feel the difference, and for that we must also ensure a modern, regular, reliable and passenger-oriented rail service,” Karakaçi said.
The contract for the Tirana–Airport–Durrës corridor will include defining the volume of service and train-kilometres, operating schedules, rolling stock, the ownership or leasing arrangements, financing and maintenance.
It will also set out the use of the depot in Shkozet, the mobilization period, the duration of the contract, the compensation and indexation formula, ticket revenue and performance indicators.
The minister emphasized that the objective is not limited to operating a predetermined number of kilometres, but is focused on creating a controllable service with accountability to passengers.
“We want a service that is measurable and accountable to citizens, punctual, safe, reliable, well-maintained and based on clearly defined quality standards,” he said.
According to Karakaçi, the procedure now being prepared must be based on competition, transparency and flexibility. Consultations with companies aim to identify the solutions the market can offer for the trains, financing, maintenance and organization of the service launch.
Alongside the line to Tirana, Durrës and the airport, other projects in Albania’s railway network are also moving forward.
The approximately 120-kilometre Vora–Hani i Hotit line is being rehabilitated to connect Albania with Montenegro and the European railway network.
The project is being jointly financed by the EBRD, the EIB and the European Union. The minister said the evaluation of bids is in its final stage and that the winner is expected to be announced within this year.
Another important project is the Durrës–Rrogozhinë line, which is part of the Western Balkans’ core TEN-T network and Corridor VIII. Its rehabilitation envisages the construction of modern infrastructure, with a design speed of up to 120 kilometres per hour, reconstructed stations and new signalling and telecommunications systems.
In the case of Durrës–Rrogozhinë as well, the evaluation of bids is nearing completion. According to Karakaçi, the winner and the contract are expected to be announced within this year.
Meanwhile, the Rrogozhinë–Pogradec project is being prepared and will extend the Corridor VIII line. At the same time, work is under way to rehabilitate the Rrogozhinë–Fier–Vlorë section and build the railway connection to Vlorë Airport.
One of the priorities is also the Durrës–Pristina connection project. A detailed technical project is being prepared for this initiative in cooperation with the French Development Agency.
The plans also include rail freight transport. In this context, the Sukth–Porto Romano connection aims to create a direct railway link with the new port in Porto Romano and improve interaction 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 said.
The minister described this approach as the vision for revitalizing Albanian Railways. He said the involvement of international and private operators aims to bring experience and expertise to the sector, increase domestic capacity and enable the transfer of knowledge to Albanian Railways employees, particularly in maintenance.
Karakaçi expressed his gratitude to European and financial partners, including the EBRD, the EIB and European Union consultants, for the support provided throughout this process.
