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Joint Border Railway Station Opened in Bijelo Polje

Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, Riccardo Serri in front of media
© Copyright: Evropska kuća

 

The Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Filip Radulović, and the Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure of the Republic of Serbia, Goran Vesić, recently opened the joint border railway station in Bijelo Polje.

Minister Radulović stated that the opening of the joint station would reduce waiting times and necessary procedures at the border crossing between Montenegro and Serbia, allowing for the smooth flow of people and goods, as well as increasing the utilisation of transport means.

"Through the investment in railway infrastructure and better connectivity between the south and north of Montenegro, the implementation of this project creates the preconditions for the quality development of the entire economy. Simplified procedures at border crossings lead to reduced travel times, thereby attracting freight flows and directing them towards the Port of Bar. By working together on such projects, we contribute to mutual development and the connectivity of economies and better connections with the EU countries," said Radulović.

Locomotive on the train station. Serbia Train is written on it

Copyright: Evropska kuća

Minister Vesić remarked that integrated border crossings are a shared priority.

"The rapid connection between people will be improved through the implementation of several joint projects in the field of infrastructure, and by opening a joint railway station in Bijelo Polje we will continue cooperation with Montenegro, which we will further improve in the future," said Vesić.

This project is part of the broader context of regional cooperation within the Berlin Process, namely the Transport Community of Southeast Europe and the Action Plan.

Matej Zakonjšek, Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community, stated that inadequate transport networks and the lack of coordination severely limit the connectivity of citizens in the region with the European Union.

"Addressing these issues requires investments in infrastructure as well as better cooperation among neighbours. The station in Bijelo Polje has already become an excellent example for the entire region. Under one roof, the relevant authorities will cooperate, and the train will no longer need to stop twice as before," Zakonjšek emphasised.

The joint railway station project was funded by the European Union.

"This reconstructed facility will become a modern railway infrastructure in one place for cheaper, faster, and simpler border crossings. The joint border crossing in Bijelo Polje belongs to the railway interconnection of the TEN-T Core Route 4 and will not only improve ties between the two countries and their peoples, but will also stimulate economic activities and trade across the border," said Riccardo Serri, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro.

Following the opening of the joint railway station, Ministers Radulović and Vesić held a bilateral meeting discussing the infrastructural connectivity between Montenegro and Serbia.