Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski sees the Macedonian section of the planned fast railroad line connecting Athens and Budapest to be completed in 1.5 to 2 years.

The ambitious project is gaining prominence in the region, with Hungary, Serbia and Greece all coming on board for its implementation – sections in Serbia and Hungary are already entering into service. The railroad will allow speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, and will cost between 2 and 2.5 million EUR per kilometer, Mickoski said.

At the moment we are negotiating with a company that will ensure the flow of million tons of goods a year through this planned railroad. And we are starting from a position when we have only eight railroad engines at our disposal and freight companies were seriously thinking about moving their routes through Bulgaria, Mickoski said.