Kosovo Railways ( sq, Hekurudhat e Kosovës, sr, Železnice Kosova), is the national railway company of
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
.
It was originally formed as the Kosovo Railways J.S.C
UNMIK
The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is the officially mandated mission of the United Nations in Kosovo. The UNMIK describes its mandate as being to "help the United Nations Security Council achieve an overall ...
Railways from the lines of the former
Yugoslav Railways
Yugoslav Railways ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Jugoslavenske željeznice/Jugoslovenske železnice, Југославенске жељезнице/Југословенске железнице; mk, Југословенски железници; sl, Jugoslovans ...
that lie on Kosovar territory. In 2011, the company was split into two public companies called Trainkos and Infrakos, the latter responsible for rail maintenance.
History
The first railway line was built under
Turkish guidance for the
Compagnie des Chemins de Fer Orientaux (CO), led by
Maurice de Hirsch
Moritz Freiherr von Hirsch auf Gereuth (german: Moritz Freiherr von Hirsch auf Gereuth; french: Maurice, baron de Hirsch de Gereuth; 9 December 1831 – 21 April 1896), commonly known as Maurice de Hirsch, was a German Jewish financier and phila ...
. It started in
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
, went on north to
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and List of cities in North Macedonia by population, largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Sk ...
and reached
Mitrovicë
Mitrovica ( sq-definite, Mitrovicë; sr-cyrl, Митровица) or Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-cyrl, Косовска Митровица) is a city and municipality located in Kosovo. Settled on the banks of Ibar and Sitnica rivers, the city is t ...
in 1873.
Before the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
it was used by the
Serbian Railways
Serbian Railways ( sr, Железнице Србије/''Železnice Srbije'', abbr. ŽS or ЖС) is a Serbian engineering and technical consulting company based in Belgrade, Serbia.
In 2015, the Government of Serbia established three new compan ...
which operated as
Yugoslav Railways
Yugoslav Railways ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Jugoslavenske željeznice/Jugoslovenske železnice, Југославенске жељезнице/Југословенске железнице; mk, Југословенски железници; sl, Jugoslovans ...
between 1918 and 1992, and stopped their operations in Kosovo after the
Kosovo War
The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the wa ...
in 1999. In 2008 Serbian Railways restored some of its routes in Northern Kosovo region.
Rail network
Trainkos operates of railway in Kosovo, of which serve both freight and passenger and only serve freight traffic. The non-electrified network originally consisted of two lines crossing at
Fushë Kosovë railway station in
Fushë Kosovë
Fushë Kosova ( sq-definite, Fushë Kosovë), or Kosovo Polje ( sr-Cyrl, Косово Поље, "Kosovo Field"), is a town and municipality located in the District of Pristina in central Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Fushë Ko ...
: A main line going from
Kraljevo
Kraljevo ( sr-cyr, Краљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Raška District in central Serbia. It is situated on the confluence of West Morava and Ibar River, Ibar, in the geographical region of ...
in western
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
via
Mitrovicë
Mitrovica ( sq-definite, Mitrovicë; sr-cyrl, Митровица) or Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-cyrl, Косовска Митровица) is a city and municipality located in Kosovo. Settled on the banks of Ibar and Sitnica rivers, the city is t ...
and
Fushë Kosovë
Fushë Kosova ( sq-definite, Fushë Kosovë), or Kosovo Polje ( sr-Cyrl, Косово Поље, "Kosovo Field"), is a town and municipality located in the District of Pristina in central Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Fushë Ko ...
to Skopje in
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...
, and a branch line in east-west direction from
Niš
Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
in southern Serbia via
Pristina railway station
Pristina railway station ( sq, Stacioni i trenit në Prishtinë, sr, / ) is the central railway station in the city of Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. It opened on Tirana Boulevard (formerly 'Omladinskih Brigada') in 1936, having been const ...
in the capital
Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians an ...
and Fushë Kosovë with one branch leading to
Peja and the other one to
Prizren. Of these lines, the one from Pristina to Peja and the one from Fushë Kosovë to North Macedonia are still served by passenger trains. Some more parts of the network are occasionally served by freight trains, like Fushë Kosovë -
Obiliq
Obiliq, ) or Obilić ( sr-cyr, Обилић, ), also referred to as Kastriot ( sq-definite, Kastrioti, ) is a town and municipality in Kosovo. According to the Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS) estimate from the 2011 census, there were 21,549 pe ...
; the other parts of the network are currently unused. For years, there have been plans to extend the branch to Prizren across the border to
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, to create a link to the network of the
Albanian Railways. However, these projects are no more than letters of intent.
Rail links with adjacent countries
*
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
-
no connection
*
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
-
no connection
*
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...
-
open
*
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
-
open in
Zvečan
Zvečan ( sr-Cyrl, Звечан) or Zveçan ( sq-definite, Zveçani) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 16,650 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consists of a town and ...
/
Lešak
Lešak ( sr-cyr, Лешак, sq, Leshak) is a town settlement of Leposavić in northern Kosovo. It has population of 2,180, with an ethnic Serb majority.
Lešak was, along with the Leposavić municipality, ceded to SAP Kosovo
The Sociali ...
(though not connected to the main Trainkos network) and
closed in
Merdare
Merdare ( sr-cyr, Мердаре) is a village located in the municipality of Kuršumlija, Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 151 people. The administrative crossing between Serbia and Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, K ...
Recent investments in infrastructure
Since February 2019, the government of Kosovo has taken steps to rehabilitate and upgrade rail infrastructure in the country. Particular attention is being paid to the mainline route between
Hani i Elezit
Hani i Elezit or Elez Han ( sq-definite, Han i Elezit or ''Hani i Elezit''; sr, Ђенерал Јанковић, ''Đeneral Janković''; officially Елез Хан, ''Elez Han'') is a town and municipality located in the Ferizaj District of Ko ...
and
Leshak which constitutes part of
Pan-European Corridor X and is the backbone of the TrainKos network. Work has been split into 3 sections, beginning with the
Hani i Elezit
Hani i Elezit or Elez Han ( sq-definite, Han i Elezit or ''Hani i Elezit''; sr, Ђенерал Јанковић, ''Đeneral Janković''; officially Елез Хан, ''Elez Han'') is a town and municipality located in the Ferizaj District of Ko ...
-
Fushë Kosovë
Fushë Kosova ( sq-definite, Fushë Kosovë), or Kosovo Polje ( sr-Cyrl, Косово Поље, "Kosovo Field"), is a town and municipality located in the District of Pristina in central Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Fushë Ko ...
section (67 km), continuing with the
Fushë Kosovë
Fushë Kosova ( sq-definite, Fushë Kosovë), or Kosovo Polje ( sr-Cyrl, Косово Поље, "Kosovo Field"), is a town and municipality located in the District of Pristina in central Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Fushë Ko ...
-
Mitrovicë
Mitrovica ( sq-definite, Mitrovicë; sr-cyrl, Митровица) or Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-cyrl, Косовска Митровица) is a city and municipality located in Kosovo. Settled on the banks of Ibar and Sitnica rivers, the city is t ...
section (34 km) and finally being completed with the
Mitrovicë
Mitrovica ( sq-definite, Mitrovicë; sr-cyrl, Митровица) or Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-cyrl, Косовска Митровица) is a city and municipality located in Kosovo. Settled on the banks of Ibar and Sitnica rivers, the city is t ...
-
Leshak section (46 km). The works include improvements to 32 level crossings, 18 km of road, and refurbishment of the stations in Fushë Kosovë, Mitrovicë, Vushtri, Druar, Prelluzhe and Obiliq-Kastriota. Alongside construction work on the
Mitrovicë
Mitrovica ( sq-definite, Mitrovicë; sr-cyrl, Митровица) or Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-cyrl, Косовска Митровица) is a city and municipality located in Kosovo. Settled on the banks of Ibar and Sitnica rivers, the city is t ...
-
Leshak section, the third phase of modernisation also includes improvement of signalling, telecommunication, and electrification. Altogether, the modernisation of the line from the North Macedonian border to the Serbian border is €208 million. The project is expected to be complete in 2023.
Operations
Passenger traffic
Trainkos operates three services: Local train, Freedom of Movement and InterCity. Usually, the trains consist of either two former
SJ Y1 DMUs or a former
NSB Di 3
NSB Di 3 is a class of 35 diesel-electric locomotives built by NOHAB
NOHAB (Nydqvist & Holm AB) was a manufacturing company based in the city of Trollhättan, Sweden.
History
The company was founded by Antenor Nydqvist, Johan Magnus Lidstr ...
with former SJ coaches. The InterCity trains usually consist of a Di 3 locomotive, one former SJ coach of Trainkos and one Macedonian coach.
Between Pristina and Peja there are two daily local train pairs, with the train staying in Peja overnight. One trip takes close to two hours.
Between Fushë Kosovë and
Hani i Elezit
Hani i Elezit or Elez Han ( sq-definite, Han i Elezit or ''Hani i Elezit''; sr, Ђенерал Јанковић, ''Đeneral Janković''; officially Елез Хан, ''Elez Han'') is a town and municipality located in the Ferizaj District of Ko ...
(border of
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...
), there are two Freedom of Movement train pairs and one local train pair. As the only international train connection there is also the InterCity train pair (IC 891/892) from Pristina via Fushë Kosovë to
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and List of cities in North Macedonia by population, largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Sk ...
and back. In direction of Fushë Kosovë, all trains stop at all stations; in the other direction the trains skip various stations, only the local train in the evening stops everywhere. The trains need close to one and a half hours for the trip from Fushë Kosovë to Hani i Elezit.
Until March 2008 there were two more Freedom of Movement train pairs from Fushë Kosovë to Leshak, but this traffic had to be discontinued until further notice due to ongoing tensions with Serbia.
Freight traffic
National freight traffic is of importance, as it serves various industries such as
calcium carbonate plants throughout the country. International freight traffic is handled via Hani i Elezit, and the container terminal is close to Pristina airport, near the Miradi station.
Incomplete list of regular freight services:
* Coal from Obilić (Kastriot) to the NewCoFerronikeli plant near Glogovac. The coal cars are pulled to Obilić station by a steam locomotive operated by the coal mine. Usually runs every second day.
* Ore trains from the Golesh mine (south-west of Pristina airport) to the NewCoFerronikeli plant. Usually daily.
* Several types of freight (containers, cisterns, bulk goods) between Hani i Elezit (from/to North Macedonia) and Miradi, serving several private sidings en route. Usually daily.
Northern Kosovo
On 3 March 2008 (three weeks after the declaration of independence of Kosovo), the Serbian railways
ŽS (successor of Yugoslav Railways) announced that they would seize control over the railway infrastructure lying in the northern part of Kosovo, including all personnel, and would resume traffic after having assured compliance to Serbian safety standards.
, ŽS (Srbija Voz) runs trains between
Kraljevo
Kraljevo ( sr-cyr, Краљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Raška District in central Serbia. It is situated on the confluence of West Morava and Ibar River, Ibar, in the geographical region of ...
and
North Mitrovica. There is both freight and passenger traffic, but without border control, since Serbia considers Kosovo to be part of its own territory. This leads to the situation that, for instance, fuel is transported into Kosovo territory, without toll being paid to the Kosovarian state. The political situation prevents any train services between
Zvečan
Zvečan ( sr-Cyrl, Звечан) or Zveçan ( sq-definite, Zveçani) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 16,650 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consists of a town and ...
and Mitrovica (the line would be in operating condition). From Mitrovicë, the line is, in principle, controlled by Kosovo Railways, but there is no regular freight or passenger traffic until
Obilić
Obiliq, ) or Obilić ( sr-cyr, Обилић, ), also referred to as Kastriot ( sq-definite, Kastrioti, ) is a List of cities and towns in Kosovo, town and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality in Kosovo. According to the Kosovo Agency of Statist ...
(freight) or
Fushë Kosovë
Fushë Kosova ( sq-definite, Fushë Kosovë), or Kosovo Polje ( sr-Cyrl, Косово Поље, "Kosovo Field"), is a town and municipality located in the District of Pristina in central Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Fushë Ko ...
(passengers) respectively.
On January 13, 2017 ŽS announced that North Mitrovica – Kraljevo line will be extended to run as an express train directly to
Belgrade. This line would connect North Mitrovica with Belgrade via
Raška,
Kraljevo
Kraljevo ( sr-cyr, Краљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Raška District in central Serbia. It is situated on the confluence of West Morava and Ibar River, Ibar, in the geographical region of ...
,
Kragujevac,
Lapovo
Lapovo ( sr-cyrl, Лапово) is a town and municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. The population of the town is 7,837 according to the 2011 census.
History
The first mention of ''Lapovo'' dates from the 12th century ...
and
Mladenovac
Mladenovac ( sr-cyr, Младеновац, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. According to the 2011 census results, the municipality has a population of 53,050 inhabitants, while the urban area has 23,314 inhabitants.
Name
Its name stems ...
. This was first time since Kosovo war that direct express train service was established between Belgrade and Kosovo. A
diplomatic incident ensued, which led to the train returning to Belgrade without reaching Kosovo; the direct connection to Belgrade has not been reestablished since.
Rolling stock
The rolling stock partly stems from the former Yugoslav Railways, and was partly imported from various European countries, such as via the
Kosovo Train for Life charter train that arrived in Pristina on 7 September 1999 bringing
aid
In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another.
Ai ...
and rolling stock from the United Kingdom and Germany in connection with the
Kosovo Force peace-keeping efforts.
Locomotives
Five types of locomotives are in use. There are former Yugoslav diesel-electric
class 661 locomotives built by
General Motors, former
NSB Di 3
NSB Di 3 is a class of 35 diesel-electric locomotives built by NOHAB
NOHAB (Nydqvist & Holm AB) was a manufacturing company based in the city of Trollhättan, Sweden.
History
The company was founded by Antenor Nydqvist, Johan Magnus Lidstr ...
locomotives ("
NOHAB
NOHAB (Nydqvist & Holm AB) was a manufacturing company based in the city of Trollhättan, Sweden.
History
The company was founded by Antenor Nydqvist, Johan Magnus Lidström and Carl Olof Holm in 1847 as ''Trollhättans Mekaniska Verkstad'' as ...
s") imported from Norway (also a construction by General Motors, but built in Sweden by the NoHAB works), a single
Vossloh G1700-2 BB a single General Motors JT38CW-DC built mainly from new parts using parts from 661-203 (Bogies) and 661-261 (Compressor and some ancillarys) and a single
EMD GT22HW-2, a custom-designed EMD A1A-A1A diesel-electric locomotive built by Đuro Đaković for Yugoslavia. While all types of locomotives are used for freight trains, only the NoHABs and GT22HW-2 are used to pull passenger trains, usually all trains between Fushë Kosovë and Peja, and rarely trains between Fushë Kosovë and Hani i Elezit.
Diesel railcars
Normally, all trains between Fushë Kosovë and Peja are run with former SJ class Y1 diesel railcars built by
Fiat. Sometimes, the Y1 are also used on the line to Hani i Elezit. There are also some former
FS class
ALn 668
The ALn 668 (''Automotrice Leggera a nafta'', Light Diesel motor car) series is a family of diesel railcars built by Fiat Ferroviaria between the 1950s and the 1980s. The trains were built for the Italian public railway company Ferrovie dello S ...
railcars available, but these are not needed any more since the delivery of the Y1 and are currently parked at Fushë Kosovë.
Carriages
Both carriages from the former Yugoslav Railways as well as second-hand carriages from all over Europe are available, however many of them not in operating condition. At the moment, all locomotive hauled passenger trains use former SJ coaches and, in the case of the InterCity, one carriage of
Makedonski Železnici.
Pictures
Locomotives
File:HK 661 001 at Fushë Kosovë.jpg, 001, JŽ 661 128
File:HK 661 002 at Fushë Kosovë.jpg, 002, JŽ 661 132
File:HK 661 003 on the freight line to the Golesh mine.jpg, 003, JŽ 661 228
File:HK 661 004 with a freight train at Kaçanik.jpg, 004, JŽ 661 231
File:HK NOHAB Di 3 005 near Gurëz.jpg, 005, NSB Di 3a 619
File:HK NOHAB Di 3 006 at Fushë Kosovë.jpg, 006, NSB Di 3a 633
File:HK NOHAB Di 3 007 between Prishtinë and Fushë Kosovë.jpg, 007, NSB Di 3b 641
File:HK NOHAB Di 3 008 at Drenas.jpg, 008, NSB Di 3b 643
File:HK MAK G 1700 at Ferizaj.jpg, 009, Vossloh G 1700
See also
*
Transport in Kosovo
Transport in Kosovo consists of transport by land and air.
Kosovo is complicated by political issues relating to international recognition. The country declared Independence in 2008 from Serbia. It currently has 101 diplomatic recognitions from ...
*
Yugoslav Railways
Yugoslav Railways ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Jugoslavenske željeznice/Jugoslovenske železnice, Југославенске жељезнице/Југословенске железнице; mk, Југословенски железници; sl, Jugoslovans ...
Notes and references
Notes:
References:
External links
Trainkos Official WebsiteInfrakos Official WebsiteEisenbahn im Kosovo 1874 bis heute (Kosovo Railways Fanpage, German)
{{commons category, Kosovo Railways
Rail transport in Kosovo
Companies of Kosovo