Durres-Pristina railway line, Aliu: This project turns Albania into economic centre

Kosovo Infrastructure Minister Lieburn Aliu, in an interview for the “Balkan” show, has spoken of the “Porti”, which will operate in several Kosovo cities of Serbia, Croatia and Romania, which will be directly linked to Porto Romano.

Aliu said that construction of the Durres-Pristina railway line is an old project, for the first time, was done by Austro-Hungarian engineers, but that it was not realised.

The same project has also been intended to be implemented by Yugoslavia and Albania in 1947, but still not built because of the breakdown of relations between the two countries.

“For the Durres-Pristina Railway is an early Hungarian study. There are studies that took place in 1947 where there was a railway society, when the Republic of Albania had good relations with Yugoslavia, and thought about building that corridor. And the line is that it connects Gjakova with Shkodra, then from Shkodra to Podgorica and Tivar. According to that study is quite different from the current situation, perhaps breaking relations between the Republic of Albania and Yugoslavia, as the situation has been with Albanians in Kosovo who have been under the former Yugoslavia at the time has changed that. Now we are in another situation, Kosovo is independent, Albania is independent and we need to build this railway line, as Albania benefits greatly. Since Porto Romano will be transformed into the Balkan port, because the approach of goods in the region through this port will be very easy to connect Pristina with Durres via Gjakova and Shkodra. The most suitable location for railway construction is the Drini Valley”, Aliu said.

Kosovo's minister further detailed where the new railway line can be passed, which will connect Albania with Kosovo.