BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Construction has kicked off on the Niš-Dimitrovgrad railway section, a project supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB), near Pirot, Serbia, Trend reports.
According to the bank, the aim is to update the old track and add new parts. The goal is to make travel faster and safer and to connect different areas more efficiently.
This includes modernizing an old railway line from Sićevo to Dimitrovgrad and building a new rail route around Niš. This is part of a bigger plan by the EU to update about 104 kilometers of railway lines. It'll make trips shorter, and safer, and help connect different regions better. Plus, it's better for the environment because it'll encourage using trains more.
The EU has provided more than 108 million euros in grants and a 134 million euro loan through the EIB. The EU also supports the project with 3.7 million euros to help with planning and 1.5 million euros to design and build a new railway around Niš.
This railway is part of a major route across Europe. Right now, it's the only part of the Pan-European Railway Corridor X (Xc branch) without electricity, so trains have to run on diesel. But once they electrify it, it'll be faster, cleaner, and safer. That means quicker trips within Serbia and into Bulgaria. The EU is expecting more passengers and more freight each year, with speeds going up from 50 km/h to as much as 120 km/h.