EU standards for Albanian railways - Electrification, ERTMS and trains up to 740 meters in the TEN-T network
The main Albanian railway lines that are part of the extension of the trans-European transport network will have to be modernized according to the new technical standards of the European Union. The requirements are set out in the new TEN-T regulation, which is now also implemented in Albania following the order of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy published in the Official Gazette.
The orientation maps for the Western Balkans include in the TEN-T railway network the Vorë–Hani i Hotit connection to Montenegro, the line from Durrës to North Macedonia, part of the VIII railway Corridor, as well as the railway connection to Vlora.
But inclusion in TEN-T is not only about the physical rehabilitation of the tracks. The new regulation sets a series of technical parameters that the railway infrastructure must meet, with different deadlines according to the classification of the lines in the core network, the extended core network or the comprehensive network.
One of the main requirements is the electrification of lines, including sidings when this is necessary for the operation of electric trains.
Another standard relates to freight transport. The relevant lines must withstand a minimum load of 22.5 tons per axle, while the infrastructure must enable the circulation of freight trains with a length of at least 740 meters, including the locomotive.
The regulation also sets new speed standards. On the core and extended core networks, for designated passenger transport sections, over 75% of the length of lines connecting urban nodes or an urban node with a border point must be designed for a speed of at least 160 km/h. For freight transport, design for at least 100 km/h is required on the relevant sections.
Changes are also required in signalling systems. TEN-T lines should be equipped with ERTMS – the European Rail Traffic Management System, which creates a common signalling and control standard and enables trains to operate on the networks of different countries without the obstacles created by incompatible national systems.
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