Locked train flow lines until budget review

The flow of trains in the Peja line and that of Elez Khan was interrupted early in August due to, reportedly, lack of financial means.

The only railway line in operation, in transportation of travellers, remains that of Pristina, Skopje and vice versa.

Exile Minister of Infrastructure Hanef Muharremi told Radio Free Europe that the Government of Kosovo from subsidies had allocated vehicles for Kosovo railways, however, “Trainkos”, worth 1.34m euros.

The government has subsidised Kosovo railways. During June, a review of the budget is intended and a review of how many tools should be provided for railways in order to function properly, but given the political situation and lack of government formation, even the budget revision has not been made, so these tools cannot cover no one”, Muharemi points out.

Because of the inability to review the state budget, Kosovo authorities had indicated that they have faced difficulties in carrying out many obligations.

However, the board of directors and management of “Infracos” (management management of railways) have asked competent state institutions to pay the difference.

Paying this difference, as representatives of” say Infrakos” is defined with the Law on the Railways of Kosovo, where annually it amounts to about 1.8m euros.

But, according to “officials Infracos”, despite requests, has never received adequate legal payment.

Vlora Jahaj, official informer in “Infrakos”, says that in order to enable the operation of the company and not create social problems with employees, competent institutions should take urgent action in covering legal obligations.

“Bord of directors and management finds that “Infrakos” has acquired all financial opportunities that depend on this company and cannot do anything to overcome the existing situation without the Government's legal obligations, as provided with the Law on Railways”, Jahaj points out.

However, the outgoing Minister of Infrastructure Hanef Muharrem considers that railways have means to operate by the end of September.

Kosovo's <x0.>Hercud sayings by the end of August, even in September, have the means to be in place because they have more than 245 thousand euros in the Ministry of Economic Development that they make payments for derivatives and can work, and hope that until then some solution will be made and we can deal with demands and they will continue working”, he notes.

Railway infrastructure in Kosovo continues to face a poor situation.

Binaris, plant buildings, signal stabilizers, then railway operations, locomotives, passenger carriages, since field experts are considered outdated.

Kosovo is now involved in projects to modernise the railway, investments that enter the package for approved investments at the Western Balkans summit in August 2015 in Vienna, within the framework of the European Union's broader agenda for promoting connection to the region and to the EU.