The railway line Vorë - Shkodër - Hani i Hotit (border with Montenegro) is part of Route 2 priority line Podgorica - Vorë, and further to Durrës / Tirana, planned as part of the extension of the Trans-European Railway Network into the Western Balkans.
This railway line is 120.2 km long and has 12 railway stations (both for freight and passengers) located at 8-10 km distance from each other. It is of strategic importance for Albania, being the only railway link between Albania and the rest of Europe. The average speed of trains on the line is 35-40 km/h, which decreases to 5-10 km/h along certain segments. Additionally, after the 2019 earthquake, damages sustained to the railway bridge of Ishmi, have rendered the railway line impassable, completely disconnecting the railway line.
This WBIF technical assistance grant has funded the preparation of the Detailed design for the rehabilitation of the railway line in order to achieve increased speed (100-120 km/hr) and uniform classification.
