“Two of the most important railway sections along Corridor 8 – Radomir-Pernik and Pernik-Sofia - have already been returned to the investment programme of the National Railway Infrastructure Company.” The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov said in Kyustendil during the second regional forum on transport connectivity, organized by the Kyustendil Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Green Transport Cluster.
Karadzhov emphasized that the development of the Sofia-Gyueshevo railway line and its connection to the network of the Republic of North Macedonia is of strategic importance.
By the end of the year, the new project for the Radomir-Gyueshevo route will be adopted, which will also provide a direct connection to Kyustendil. The line will be designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h, and the public procurement for the construction will be announced in the middle of next year. The Minister assured that the new route will pass outside the settlements. We are considering organizing shuttle transport for local residents, and existing lines in mountainous areas will be rehabilitated for service by small trains.
The procurement for the construction of the 2.4 km section up to the border at Gyueshevo has already been announced. In November, an agreement is set to be signed with the Republic of North Macedonia on the construction of the joint cross-border railway tunnel – the last step to complete the connection.
The other major project for the region is the Rila Motorway, which will be a natural continuation of the Struma Motorway and will connect Dupnitsa with Kyustendil and the border with the Republic of North Macedonia. On October 1, the Advisory Council on Concessions will review the proposal for the concession of the Dupnitsa-Gyueshevo section. “By the spring of next year, an international consultant will be selected to conduct the analyses. These projects will give new life to the economy and tourism in Southwestern Bulgaria, and Kyustendil will become part of Bulgaria’s transport map,” Minister Karadzhov stated.
As part of his visit to the city, Karadjov visited the railway stations in Gyueshevo and Kyustendil, as well as the post office in the city. At a meeting with the Regional Governor, Eng. Metodi Chimev, transport connectivity projects in the Kyustendil region were discussed.
