The railway line connecting Niš with Dimitrovgrad and the Bulgarian border is part of Corridor X – a strategic route of the Western Balkans – Eastern Mediterranean European Corridor which connects central European Member States with the ports of the Adriatic and East Mediterranean Seas via the Western Balkans.
The ongoing ‘Niš – Dimitrovgrad – Bulgarian border’ investment project includes the reconstruction and modernisation of the existing, not-electrified single-track railway line from Sićevo to Dimitrovgrad. It also entails the construction of the North rail bypass around the City of Niš as well as the electrification and signalling of both the existing railway line from Sićevo to Dimitrovgrad and the Niš bypass. The investment is part of the EU Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, being a key priority project contributing to sustainable transport and connectivity.
The reconstruction and modernisation of the Electric Traction Substation (ETS) Niš and the connecting transmission line from ETS Niš to the railway line is one of the crucial factors for the overall success of the investment project. The existing ETS Niš is a facility whose life span has expired, and the equipment is outdated. There is insufficient space to accommodate the new equipment and related connections required to provide outlets with the necessary power supply for all railways within the Niš junction. Designing a new substation will accommodate all that is required for a stable power source to efficiently operate the electrified rail system.
The objective of CONNECTA 2’s technical assistance is to develop comprehensive documentation needed for development of ETS Niš project, comprising:
- Additional Urban Plan, for inclusion of the ETS to the existing Spatial Plan
- Conceptual design for issuing Location Conditions
- Preliminary design
- Design for Construction Permit
To mark the start of CONNECTA 2 sub-project ‘Development of the project for the reconstruction of the Electric Traction Substation (ETS) Niš and the connecting transmission line from ETS Niš to the railway line’, a kick-off meeting was held on 22 April 2025. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Serbian Railways Infrastructure 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.
