ŽRSM Infrastruktura

ŽRSM Infrastruktura (Macedonian: ЖРСМ Инфраструктура), formally Javno Pretprijatie ŽRSM Infrastruktura, is the state-owned railway infrastructure manager of North Macedonia. It was established on 9 August 2007 following a government decision of 8 May 2007, in the context of the restructuring and partial privatisation of the former integrated national railway company Makedonski Železnici. Since the split, ŽRSM Infrastruktura has been responsible for the tracks, signalling, electrification and stations, while passenger and freight operations were transferred to ŽRSM Transport. The company manages a national rail network of approximately 699 km, of which about 234 km are electrified. The network is built around two principal axes. The north–south main line, part of Pan-European Corridor X, runs from Tabanovce on the Serbian border through the capital Skopje to Gevgelija on the Greek border; it is single-track and electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz. Branch D of Corridor X diverges at Veles towards Kremenica and on to Igoumenitsa in Greece, and is largely non-electrified. The west–east axis, part of the future Pan-European Corridor VIII, links Kicevo in the west to Kumanovo in the east, also passing through Skopje. Secondary lines include the R10 route from Skopje to Kosovo via Volkovo, the Veles–Kocani line, and the local Zajas–Tajmiste and Barkarno Gumno–Sopotnica lines, the latter now disused. Because the last major renovations of the Macedonian rail network took place in the 1980s, infrastructure quality is generally low, and the company has been pursuing rehabilitation and new-build projects. Planned works include renovation of the 14 km Kumanovo–Deljadrovci section, the 35 km Dratchevo–Deljadrovci section, and reconstruction of the 16 km Bitola–Kremenica section on Branch D. Longer-term plans include new lines from Kumanovo to Beljakovce on the Bulgarian border and from Kicevo to Struga on the Albanian border, which together would complete Corridor VIII between Durrës on the Adriatic and Varna on the Black Sea. As a public enterprise, ŽRSM Infrastruktura is owned by the Government of North Macedonia and operates under the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Its official website (mzi.mk) publishes network statements, timetables, public information and project updates, and highlights the Corridor 8 and Corridor 10 projects as central to its current activity. The company's heritage reaches back to 1873, when the first railway line in Macedonia was completed and the first train from Thessaloniki arrived in Skopje on 9 August of that year.

The history of railways in what is now North Macedonia begins in the 19th century, during the Ottoman period. In 1873 the first railway line in Macedonia was completed, and on 9 August of that year the first train from Thessaloniki was ceremonially received in Skopje. At the time it was the most modern means of transport, and it created the conditions for Macedonia to be connected to the railway networks of Central and Western Europe. Soon after the Thessaloniki–Skopje line opened, in 1874 Skopje was linked by rail to Kosovska Mitrovica. With the opening of the first line in Serbia from Belgrade to Niš in 1884 and its extension from Niš to Vranje in 1886, the Thessaloniki–Skopje line was extended to the then Turkish–Serbian border, so that in 1888 a connection was established between the Macedonian railway and the central and western European rail network. During the First World War, several narrow-gauge railways were built to facilitate the movement of troops towards the Salonika front. Bulgarian and German forces constructed the Veles–Stari Grad–Stepantsi line, the Demir Kapija–Krnyevo line, and the Gradsko–Drenovo–Trojaci–Pletvar–Prilep–Alintsi line, which branched in three directions towards Kanatlartsi, Bitola and Kajani near Lake Prespa. These lines were built in 1916 and 1917. The Skopje–Kicevo portion of the west–east line also dates from this period; originally it descended much further south to Tachmarounichta, a village north of Struga near Albania, serving Ohrid and Struga, but it was poorly built and trains could not exceed an average of 15 km/h. The preserved Skopje–Kicevo portion was rebuilt in 1922 and has since had a standard alignment. For most of the 20th century, the railways of Macedonia were operated as part of the integrated Yugoslav railway system. After North Macedonia's independence in 1991, the national railway company Makedonski Železnici (MŽ) took over the network. In the 2000s, under pressure to restructure and prepare for eventual European Union accession, the government decided to separate infrastructure management from transport operations. A government decision on 8 May 2007 paved the way for the creation of ŽRSM Infrastruktura, which was formally founded on 9 August 2007. The new company took over the tracks, stations, signalling and electrification, while the former Makedonski Železnici continued to manage rolling stock and operations, later reorganised as ŽRSM Transport. Since its founding, ŽRSM Infrastruktura has managed a network of about 699 km, of which 234 km are electrified. The network connects with Kosovo, Serbia and Greece, and lines towards Bulgaria and Albania are planned. The last major renovations of the network took place in the 1980s, leaving infrastructure quality low. The company has therefore focused on rehabilitation of Corridor X and its Branch D, including the Kumanovo–Deljadrovci (14 km), Dratchevo–Deljadrovci (35 km) and Bitola–Kremenica (16 km) sections. The 2009–2011 multi-annual indicative plan of the Republic of Macedonia identified as national priorities the construction of the Kumanovo–Beljakovce line to the Bulgarian border, estimated at 200 million euros, and the Kicevo–Struga line to the Albanian border, estimated at 206 million euros. These two new lines would complete Corridor VIII, linking Durrës on the Adriatic to Varna on the Black Sea. The company continues to publish network statements, timetables and project information through its official website, mzi.mk.

• 2009

  Multi-annual indicative plan 2009–2011 identifies Kumanovo–Beljakovce and Kicevo–Struga new lines as national priorities.

• 2007

  Government decision of 8 May paves way for ŽRSM Infrastruktura; company founded on 9 August.

• 1981

  New railway station in Skopje put into operation on 27 July.

• 1922

  Skopje–Kicevo portion rebuilt with standard alignment.

• 1916

  Narrow-gauge military railways built during World War I, including Veles–Stari Grad–Stepantsi and Demir Kapija–Krnyevo.

• 1888

  Connection established between the Macedonian railway and the central and western European rail network.

• 1874

  Skopje connected by rail to Kosovska Mitrovica.

• 1873

  First railway line in Macedonia completed; first train from Thessaloniki arrives in Skopje on 9 August.

North Macedonia's sole state-owned railway infrastructure manager, responsible for the national rail network and its integration into Pan-European Corridors X and VIII.

• Rail network access and capacity allocation

• Track maintenance and renewal

• Signalling and electrification

• Railway stations and terminals

1. 1Почетна - МЖИmzi.mk
2. 2ŽRSM Infrastruktura - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3ŽRSM Infrastruktura - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org