According to Serbian Economist, North Macedonia plans to build a high-speed railway from the border with Serbia to the border with Greece by 2031, which should integrate the country into the new Athens–Thessaloniki–Skopje–Belgrade–Budapest–Vienna transport corridor. The project is of direct importance to Serbia, as its effectiveness depends on the modernization of the Serbian sections between Belgrade and Niš and the future Niš–Skopje route.
North Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Aleksandar Nikolovski, stated in an interview with MIA that Skopje plans to build a line “from border to border,” that is, from the border with Serbia to the border with Greece.
This involves the development of Railway Corridor 10, which is intended to connect Greek ports and North Macedonia with Serbia, Hungary, Austria, and onward to Central Europe. Nikoloski stated that the goal of the project is to build a high-speed railway from Athens through Thessaloniki and Skopje northward to Belgrade, Budapest, and Vienna, which will “completely transform the structure of the economy and business” in the region.
According to the North Macedonian Ministry of Transport, the project is set to become one of the largest infrastructure projects in Southeast Europe. Nikoloski previously stated that passenger trains on the future line should travel at speeds of up to 250 km/h, and freight trains at up to 140 km/h, with 750-meter-long freight trains compliant with European standards being a key feature.
The cost of the Macedonian section is estimated at approximately EUR2 billion.
The project is currently in the preparatory stage. According to Nikoloski, the most suitable route has been selected from several options, and planning, geotechnical studies, and an environmental impact assessment are currently underway. The new route is expected to be approximately 35 km shorter than the existing one, which is particularly important for freight transit between Greek ports and Central Europe.
The Serbian component is key to the entire scheme. If North Macedonia connects its borders with Greece and Serbia but the Serbian section is not modernized, the project’s impact will be limited.
Therefore, Belgrade–Niš–Skopje is becoming the central missing link in the vertical transport corridor from the Aegean Sea to Central Europe.
Serbia is already modernizing the Belgrade–Niš railway. The EUR 2.2 billion financial package from the EU, EIB, and EBRD provides for the upgrade of the line to allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 200 km/h. The package includes an EU grant of up to EUR 598 million, an EIB loan of EUR 1.1 billion, and an EBRD loan of EUR 550 million.
In the northern part of the route, the Belgrade–Budapest section is already under development. The Serbian section of the Belgrade–Novi Sad line was opened earlier, and the further connection to Hungary is set to become part of the broader Budapest–Belgrade–Skopje–Athens corridor. However, the launch of service along the entire line to Budapest depends on the readiness of the Hungarian section and technical certification.
For Serbia, the new Macedonian project opens up an important economic prospect. If the entire Athens/Piraeus–Thessaloniki–Skopje–Niš–Belgrade–Budapest–Vienna corridor is modernized, Serbia could strengthen its role as a transit and logistics hub between Europe’s southern ports and Central European markets.
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According to Serbian Economist, associations of truckers from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia have announced their intention to start protest actions on January 26, 2026, by blocking freight terminals at border crossings in the direction of Schengen countries. The planned actions were reported by regional media outlets, citing statements from the relevant associations.
The carriers cite the practical application and future tightening of controls in connection with the introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES) as the reason for their actions. According to them, professional drivers from non-EU countries will effectively be subject to the 90-day rule within a 180-day period for short stays in the Schengen area, just like ordinary tourists. Carriers warn that with the “strict” application of the rules from spring 2026, some drivers may quickly exhaust their stay limit, which will create risks for supply chains and freight traffic between the EU and the Western Balkans region.
The European Commission has stated that it is monitoring the situation and is in contact with its Western Balkan partners, while pointing out that the rules for short stays in Schengen are “clear” and that practical decisions at the external borders are the responsibility of the member states.
EES is an automated EU IT system for registering the entry and exit of non-EU citizens on short-term trips, including recording document and biometric data, with the aim of improving the efficiency of external border controls and detecting overstays. The European Commission has announced that the system is being implemented in stages, with full deployment at all border crossing points planned for April 10, 2026, when electronic records are to finally replace stamps in passports.
If blockades are implemented at freight terminals, queues and delays are possible in a number of EU-Western Balkans directions, which may affect the timing of commercial deliveries in the region and throughout Europe.
Blockade, Bosnia, CARGO, Macedonia, MONTENEGRO, Schengen, SERBIA, Trucking company
