The 210 kilometers long railway line Valjevo – Vrbnica (state border with Montenegro), along the Rail Route 4, forms part of the Western Balkans – Eastern Mediterranean Corridor. As a multimodal transport system and a vital part of the TEN-T network, the Western Balkans – Eastern Mediterranean Corridor stretches across multiple countries, from Austria and Italy’s northeast, through Slovenia, Croatia, the Western Balkans, reaching Hungary, Bulgaria, the southern ports of Greece and extending further to Cyprus via maritime connections.
The reconstruction and modernisation of the railway line Valjevo – Vrbnica is among the highest national priority investment projects in Serbia – aiming to develop a transport system that will be compatible with the transport system of the European Union and to provide better and faster links within the region and with the EU. This investment will improve rail capacity and efficiency, while promoting a modal shift from road to rail for freight and passengers – increasing the sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint of the Serbian transport sector. Located on the route that links the Serbian capital Belgrade and the port of Bar, the project also complements the investments in the railway infrastructure in Montenegro.
The objective of CONNECTA 2’s technical assistance is to help secure the financing as well as initiation of the works’ procurement procedure. CONNECTA 2’s assignment will be carried out in two phases:
- Phase 1: gap assessment for the entire railway line Valjevo – Požega -Vrbnica (review of the existing documentation for ensuring WBIF investment grant and IFI loans); and
- Phase 2: preparation of the needed documents for “closing the gaps” identified in Phase 1 and preparation of design & build works tender documents for the section from Valjevo to Požega.
To mark the start of CONNECTA 2 sub-project ‘Gap assessment and preparation of WBIF investment application package and design & build tender documents for the project “Reconstruction and Modernisation of railway line Valjevo – Vrbnica – state border, Section: Valjevo – Požega”’, a kick-off meeting was held on 9 June 2025. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Serbian Railways Infrastructure, the European Investment Bank, the EU Delegation to Serbia and the CONNECTA 2 team.
***
Additional information on the assignment can be obtained by contacting Chris Germanacos, CONNECTA 2 Team Leader, at chris.germanacos@connecta-ta.eu.
