Macedonia launches third phase of Corridor 8 railway with €149 million EU grant

Corridor 8 Kriva Palanka–Deve Bair EU grant €149 million Macedonia‑Bulgaria railway tunnel WBIF financing

The government of North Macedonia signed financing agreements for the third phase of the Corridor 8 railway segment between Kriva Palanka and the border crossing at Deve Bair. The €149 million grant comes from the EU Western Balkans Investment Framework, complemented by loans of €175 million each from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The project includes a cross‑border railway tunnel linking Macedonia and Bulgaria and is intended to strengthen the country's role as a hub for Corridors 8 and 10.

Prime Minister Christian Mikovski, Deputy Prime Minister for Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski, Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska‑Kochoska, EU delegation deputy head Ben Nupnau and EBRD director Fatih Turkmenoglu attended the signing. A tender for construction is expected later this year, with works slated to begin in the autumn, and a second intergovernmental meeting is planned before the end of the month to request additional funding for the tunnel.

Entities: Aleksandar Nikoloski · Ben Nupnau · Bjørn Gabriel · Christian Mikovski · Fatih Turkmenoglu · Gordana Dimitrieska‑Kochoska

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 7 SOURCES] The EU Western Balkans Investment Framework provided a €149 million grant for the Kriva Palanka–Deve Bair railway section. (All belongs‑true articles mention the €149 million WBIF grant.)
[● 7 SOURCES] The project includes construction of a cross‑border railway tunnel between Macedonia and Bulgaria. (All belongs‑true articles describe the tunnel component.)
[● 7 SOURCES] The grant finances the third segment of railway Corridor 8 linking Macedonia and Bulgaria. (All articles about the third phase state this.)
[● 7 SOURCES] Prime Minister Christian Mikovski, Deputy Prime Minister for Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski, Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska‑Kochoska, EU delegation deputy head Ben Nupnau and EBRD director Fatih (All signing‑event articles list these officials.)
[● 7 SOURCES] The railway project is part of Macedonia's strategy to leverage its position as a hub of Corridors 8 and 10. (All articles reference the strategic importance.)
[● 7 SOURCES] A second intergovernmental meeting is scheduled for the end of the month, after which Macedonia and Bulgaria will send a joint letter to the EU, EIB and EBRD requesting additional grant for the tunnel (All signing‑event articles mention the upcoming meeting.)
[DISPUTED] A tender for construction is expected to be launched later this year, with works to start in the autumn. (All articles about the project timeline state this.)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Prime Minister Christian Mikovski said Macedonian airports are the fastest‑growing in the region, with passenger numbers up 20‑40 % compared with the previous year. (Only the airport‑related article mentions this.)