Ida Ismail
After promises and delays, the long-awaited modern Tirana-Durres railway project is entering another crucial phase. Passengers traveling by train from Tirana to Durres or Rinas will depart from the former historic train station on Bulevardi e Ri. The latter will also serve as the final arrival station for those departing from the coastal city.
Albanian Railways has opened the tender for the construction of about 4 kilometers of new railway line, which foresees two new urban stops, bridges, overpasses, while the deadline for the works is 24 months from the announcement of the winner.
The project's limit fund is around 15.7 million euros or approximately 1.5 billion lekë. The contract is envisaged with the "turnkey" formula and includes the construction of the new railway line, two new urban stops "Tirana 1" and "Tirana 2", metal and concrete bridges, overpasses and underpasses and the completion of the bridge over the Tirana Ring Road.
According to official documents, companies have until June 15 to submit bids, while the winner will have about 24 months to complete the works.
"The construction of the Durrës-Tirana and Domje-Rinas lines creates a great opportunity for the economic and tourist development of our country. For this reason, it is necessary to extend this line by another 4 kilometers, from the Tirana Public Transport Terminal (PTT) to the New Boulevard of Tirana, the 'Tirana City Center' station. This extension of the line will guarantee efficient transport for passengers and will increase the attractiveness of the region for investment and tourism," the tender documents state.
But as the project enters another expansion phase, costs and timelines have changed significantly compared to initial promises. From the 69.6 million euros that was the winning bid of the Italian company INC SPA in 2020, the total cost of the project has now exceeded 118 million euros, not yet including the final costs of fully electrifying the line.
According to the data of previously published by INA Media, the financial additions were justified by the increase in material prices, labor costs, the construction of new bridges and the expansion of the project, while part of the additional funds were provided through new loans from the EBRD.
Meanwhile, completion deadlines have changed several times. When work began in 2021, authorities stated that the line would be completed by the summer of 2023. The deadline was then pushed back to 2025, while the EBRD and Albanian Railways are now talking about the beginning of 2026 as the target for the full completion of the project, including electrification.
Some of the delays were related to the expropriation process, changes to the project after the entry into force of new seismic standards, and the decision to build new bridges instead of rehabilitating them. Also, full electrification of the line was added later as a component of the project.
All major project tenders over the years
In 2016, the project was approved as part of the European Mediterranean Corridor and the Western Balkans Connectivity Agenda. The total cost was estimated at around 92.1 million euros, divided into:
- 35.5 million euro grant from WBIF and the European Union
- 36.9 million euro loan from the EBRD
- the rest is financed by the Albanian government.
The project included the rehabilitation of the 34.2 kilometers of Tirana-Durres railway and the construction of about 5 kilometers of new line to Rinas Airport.
In October 2019, the EBRD announced the international tender for the rehabilitation of the existing line and the construction of the branch to Rinas.
Three companies participated in the competition:
• STS-KALPATARU JV from India with a bid of 92.29 million euros
• SINOHYDRO-EEB JV from China with an offer of 92.53 million euros
• INC SPA from Italy with a bid of 69.7 million euros
After evaluating the bids, the EBRD in 2020 announced the winner of the tender, the Italian company INC SPA, with the lowest bid of 69.7 million euros. The Italian company is part of the FININC Spa group and is considered one of the leading infrastructure companies in Italy.
This was the largest tender ever awarded in the Albanian railway sector.
Work on the Tirana-Durrës-Rinas line officially began in 2021 and according to the project, the trains will be electric, with a speed reaching 70-100 km/h. The line will serve both passengers and freight.
Authorities initially stated that the project could be completed within 2023-2024.
The procedure for the construction of the stations, technical supervision, consultancy and project support was opened in 2024. These procedures were developed with the support of the EBRD and European institutions.
In 2025, another important phase was the opening of the tender for the electrification of the railway line. The procedure was organized by the EBRD and the Albanian Railways in two phases:
• Technical assessment
• Financial offers for qualified companies
This process is considered essential for the operation of electric trains.
According to Albanian Railway data, over 97% of the basic works have been completed and the aim is for testing and "starting of trains" to begin early next year.
However, with the addition of the new segment, there is still no official final date for the total closure of the project.
Another element that has raised discussions is related to the companies carrying out the works on the ground. A significant part of the works was carried out by the Albanian company "Prima Energy", which according to previous reports entered the railway infrastructure sector only after the launch of the project and previously had activity mainly in the energy sector.
Meanwhile, Albanian institutions have also been criticized for a lack of transparency regarding contracts, monitoring reports, and details of additional funds allocated in recent years. The Albanian Railways and the Ministry of Infrastructure have previously refused to publish the full contracts, citing confidentiality clauses.
The Tirana–Durrës–Rinas railway is considered the most important rail transport project in Albania since the 90s. The objective remains to create a modern, faster and more integrated rail network with regional transport. But as costs increase and deadlines are pushed back, it remains unclear when citizens will be able to fully use the new railway line.acqj.al
