BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. During an official visit to Albania, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas oversaw the signing of a 90.5 million euro EU financial package for the reconstruction of the Durrës-Rrogozhina railway section in the country, Trend reports via the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The agreement, signed by the EIB Global and the Albanian government, includes a 60.5 million euro EU grant and a 30 million euro EIB loan.
The funds will help modernize the 34 km railway between the port city of Durrës and Rrogozhina in central Albania, part of the Pan-European Corridor VIII linking southern Italy, Albania, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. This project is key for regional connectivity and is part of the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.
Kallas highlighted the project’s strategic importance for job creation, trade, and EU integration, as well as its role in military mobility in Southeast Europe. EIB Vice-President Rober de Groot emphasized the project’s contribution to Albania’s socio-economic development and its role in strengthening regional ties.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomed the funding as part of a broader push to modernize the country’s rail infrastructure, calling it a vital step toward EU membership.
The total project cost is 121 million euro, with 30 million euro in co-financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
EIB Global continues to support several railway projects in Albania. This includes a loan for the Vorë to Hani-Hotit railway line and technical support provided under the EIB’s Economic Resilience Initiative for the second phase of the Pan-European Corridor VIII railway. The JASPERS advisory programme has also supported the development of an action plan to strengthen the management capacity of Albania's railway infrastructure.