The railway network in Albania has not benefited from any major overhaul since its commissioning. It currently allows travel speeds under 60 km/h. It has not been electrified and the telecommunication and signalling system is obsolete, causing frequent interruptions in traffic. As a result, passenger services are seasonal and freight transport is inefficient.
For these reasons, Albania has initiated the rehabilitation of the railway sections between the capital, Tirana, and the main port of Durres (34.5 km) as well as the construction of a 7.4 km of new railway track between Tirana and Rinas international airport. Nearly 1.5 million people (one-third of the country’s population) live in the area serviced by this section.
WBIF allocated a technical assistance grant for the development of a Detailed Design for the Tirana-Durres railway line and an economic-financial appraisal of the whole rail network.
