North Macedonia - General Information: Difference between revisions

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==Country Name==
==Country Name==
Macedonia (Makedonija). Officially the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
North Macedonia (Severna Makedonija/Северна Македонија). Officially the Republic of North Macedonia (Republika Severna Makedonija/Република Северна Македонија).


As a result of Greek objections to use of the name 'Macedonia', the country joined the United Nations as the 'Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'.  It was announced in June 2018 that, with the agreement of Greece, the country was to be renamed the Republic of North Macedonia (Severna Makedonija). In July 2018, the parliament of Macedonia approved plans to hold a non-binding referendum on the change. This took place on 30 September and was overwhelmingly approved, but the referendum was ruled invalid owing to a low turnout. The government has however asked parliament to start the procedure for amending the constitution and agreement for the name change was reached by parliamentary vote in mid-October 2018.
The country declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in September 1991 and until February 2019 was officially the Republic of Macedonia. However, as a result of objections from Greece to use of the name 'Macedonia', the country joined the United Nations as the 'Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia' (FYROM).  It was announced in June 2018 that, with the agreement of Greece, the country was to be renamed the Republic of North Macedonia (Severna Makedonija). The change was overwhelmingly approved in a non-binding referendum. The parliament voted for the name change in mid-October 2018 and it was implemented in February 2019.


==National railway system==
==National railway system==


===National Railway Operator===
===National Railway Operator===
[http://www.mzi.mk/en/] (MŽ) Makedonski Železnici   This site refers to a new website at [http://mzt.mk/]
[http://mzt.mk/ (MŽ) Makedonski Železnici]


==Language==
==Language==
Line 20: Line 20:
==Timetable==
==Timetable==
===Journey Planner===
===Journey Planner===
The Macedonian Railways Journey Planner appears to have have been discontinued. Travellers will need to use the downloadable timetable.
The Macedonian Railways Journey Planner appears to have been discontinued. Travellers will need to use the downloadable timetable.


===Downloadable Timetable===
===Downloadable Timetable===
The 2016/17 timetable pdfs can be found [http://mzt.mk/patnichki-soobrakaj/vnatreshen-soobrakaj/vozen-red-spored-relatsija/?lang=en here]. This is in Macedonian only, using Cyrillic script.
Departure and arrival times from Skopje can be found [https://mzt.mk/vozen-red/?lang=en here] but only in Macedonian Cyrillic script


Note that ''меѓународен воз по релации ('''превземи''')'' merely accesses HAFAS, for international services.
Note that ''меѓународен воз по релации ('''превземи''')'' merely accesses HAFAS, for international services.


A good unofficial timetable in German [http://www.ec-tobias.de/service/Kursbuch_MZ_18.pdf ''Linien- und Tabellenfahrpläne''] has 2017/18 information loaded as at 9 August 2018, but it should be verified against local information.
A good unofficial timetable in German [http://www.ec-tobias.de/service/Kursbuch_MZ_18.pdf ''Linien- und Tabellenfahrpläne''] had 2017/18 information loaded as at 9 August 2018.


===Printed Timetable===
===Printed Timetable===
Line 45: Line 45:


* Annex No. 1 of the Network Statement contains some useful maps
* Annex No. 1 of the Network Statement contains some useful maps
*Thorsten Büker's [http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_albania---macedonia.php Map of Albania and Macedonia] and [http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_skopje.php Map of Skopje].
*Thorsten Büker's [http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_albania---macedonia.php Map of Albania and Macedonia] and [http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_skopje.php Map of Skopje]. Note these maps date from 2011 and are no longer updated.


==Infrastructure==
==Infrastructure==


===Infrastructure Authority===
===Infrastructure Authority===
There is no separate Infrastructure Authority in Macedonia.
The Macedonian Railways Infrastructure website can be found [http://www.mzi.mk/?lang=en here]


===Network Statement===
===Network Statement===
The 2016-2017 Network Statement (in English) can be downloaded [http://www.mzi.mk/en/index.php?pagename=read&id=398 here.] The 2017-2018 network statement had not been loaded in December 2017.
The 2018-2019 network statement is available in Macedonian [http://www.mzi.mk/documents/OBJAVA-NA-MREZA-2019.pdf here]. There is no English version on the website.
 
The 2016-2017 Network Statement (in English) can be downloaded [http://www.mzi.mk/view_activity.php?id=398 here.]


===Gauge===
===Gauge===
Line 80: Line 82:


==Recent and future changes==
==Recent and future changes==
Owing to the subsidence of a river bridge south of Gradsko on 29 September 2018, the line between Veles and Gevgelija will be closed for several months as the bridge will need to be completely rebuilt.
In December 2018 the EBRD agreed to provide €68.6m of co-financing for construction of the 34 km Beljakovce – Kriva Palanka line, the second phase of a direct rail link between Skopje and Sofia. It provided a €46.4m 15-year loan in 2012 to fund the 30.8 km Kumanovo – Beljakovce line, the first phase of this project. The final phase would take the line over the border to Gyueshevo.


Work resumed in February 2018 on rebuilding the Bitola - Kremenica - Neos Kafkasos (Greece) line, which has been out of use for several years. It was to have reopened by 2014 but the project has been the subject of delays and cancellations. As at October 2018 a fair amount of track had been laid. It remains to be seen if the bridge collapse (above) causes the work to be accelerated.
Work resumed in February 2018 on rebuilding the Bitola - Kremenica - Neos Kafkasos (Greece) line, which has been out of use for several years. It was to have reopened by 2014 but the project has been subject to delays and cancellations. As at October 2018 a fair amount of track had been laid.


In 2018 the only passenger service operating over the Tabanovci - Preševo border crossing into Serbia was the summer-only train pair ''334'' and ''335'', between Topčider (Beograd) and Thessaloníki via Skopje; these trains ran from 1 June to 1 October. In practice the cross-border service into Greece between Gevgelija and Thessaloníki was still provided by buses.
In 2018 the only passenger service operating over the Tabanovci - Preševo border crossing into Serbia was the summer-only train pair ''334'' and ''335'', between Topčider (Beograd) and Thessaloníki via Skopje; these trains ran from 1 June to 1 October. In practice the cross-border service into Greece between Gevgelija and Thessaloníki was still provided by buses.


The 2017/2018 timetable shows international trains running between Skopje and Hani-i-Elezit (Kosovo) for connections to/from Pristinë. It is reported that trains are often replaced by buses, or cancelled completely: further information would be welcomed by the compilers.
It is reported that the international trains shown in the timetable as running between Skopje and Hani-i-Elezit (Kosovo), for connections to/from Pristinë, are usually replaced by buses or cancelled; '''further information would be welcomed by the compilers'''.


Services between Niš(ŽS) and Skopje were suspended from 20 October 2016 because of engineering work but reinstated for the summer season from 1 June 2017.
Services between Niš(ŽS) and Skopje were suspended from 20 October 2016 because of engineering work but reinstated for the summer season from 1 June 2017.
Line 93: Line 95:


This Gevgelija - Idomeni cross-border service into Greece has been intermittently suspended previously, it ceased from 13 February 2011 along with all other border crossings with Greece but then a weekly summer-only service reportedly ran between July and September 2012. Then the Beograd [overnight] - Skopje - Thessaloniki and vv summer only service was reintroduced from 10 May 2014 until as above.
This Gevgelija - Idomeni cross-border service into Greece has been intermittently suspended previously, it ceased from 13 February 2011 along with all other border crossings with Greece but then a weekly summer-only service reportedly ran between July and September 2012. Then the Beograd [overnight] - Skopje - Thessaloniki and vv summer only service was reintroduced from 10 May 2014 until as above.
In 2012 the EBRD agreed to provide a €46.4m 15-year loan to fund the rebuilding of the 30.8 km Kumanovo – Beljakovce line, the first phase of a direct rail link between Skopje and Sofia. This included money to help advance the second phase, to extend the line from Beljakovce to Kriva Palanka. The final phase would take the line over the border to Gyueshevo.


==Special Notes==
==Special Notes==
Line 100: Line 100:


==See also==
==See also==
{{Navbox Macedonia}}
{{Navbox North Macedonia}}

Revision as of 09:44, 14 February 2019

Country Name

North Macedonia (Severna Makedonija/Северна Македонија). Officially the Republic of North Macedonia (Republika Severna Makedonija/Република Северна Македонија).

The country declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in September 1991 and until February 2019 was officially the Republic of Macedonia. However, as a result of objections from Greece to use of the name 'Macedonia', the country joined the United Nations as the 'Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia' (FYROM). It was announced in June 2018 that, with the agreement of Greece, the country was to be renamed the Republic of North Macedonia (Severna Makedonija). The change was overwhelmingly approved in a non-binding referendum. The parliament voted for the name change in mid-October 2018 and it was implemented in February 2019.

National railway system

National Railway Operator

(MŽ) Makedonski Železnici

Language

Macedonian, using Cyrillic script.

Currency

Macedonian Denar (MKD); 1MKD = 100 Deni

UIC code

numeric 65; alpha MK

Timetable

Journey Planner

The Macedonian Railways Journey Planner appears to have been discontinued. Travellers will need to use the downloadable timetable.

Downloadable Timetable

Departure and arrival times from Skopje can be found here but only in Macedonian Cyrillic script

Note that меѓународен воз по релации (превземи) merely accesses HAFAS, for international services.

A good unofficial timetable in German Linien- und Tabellenfahrpläne had 2017/18 information loaded as at 9 August 2018.

Printed Timetable

None known.

Engineering Information

None.

Bus Information

A useful site is BalkanViator

Maps

Printed Maps

  • European Railway Atlas: Scandinavia and Eastern Europe by M.G. Ball (1993) (ISBN 0-7110-2072-4)
  • European Railway Atlas by M.G. Ball (2008 onwards)

Web-based Maps

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

The Macedonian Railways Infrastructure website can be found here

Network Statement

The 2018-2019 network statement is available in Macedonian here. There is no English version on the website.

The 2016-2017 Network Statement (in English) can be downloaded here.

Gauge

Standard.

Electrification

25kV 50Hz.

Rule of the road

Right, but the vast majority of the network is single track.

Distances

Table No. 1 in Annex No. 2 of the Network Statement gives distances for each station

Other Railways

None.

Tourist Lines

None.

Metro

None.

Trams

None.

Recent and future changes

In December 2018 the EBRD agreed to provide €68.6m of co-financing for construction of the 34 km Beljakovce – Kriva Palanka line, the second phase of a direct rail link between Skopje and Sofia. It provided a €46.4m 15-year loan in 2012 to fund the 30.8 km Kumanovo – Beljakovce line, the first phase of this project. The final phase would take the line over the border to Gyueshevo.

Work resumed in February 2018 on rebuilding the Bitola - Kremenica - Neos Kafkasos (Greece) line, which has been out of use for several years. It was to have reopened by 2014 but the project has been subject to delays and cancellations. As at October 2018 a fair amount of track had been laid.

In 2018 the only passenger service operating over the Tabanovci - Preševo border crossing into Serbia was the summer-only train pair 334 and 335, between Topčider (Beograd) and Thessaloníki via Skopje; these trains ran from 1 June to 1 October. In practice the cross-border service into Greece between Gevgelija and Thessaloníki was still provided by buses.

It is reported that the international trains shown in the timetable as running between Skopje and Hani-i-Elezit (Kosovo), for connections to/from Pristinë, are usually replaced by buses or cancelled; further information would be welcomed by the compilers.

Services between Niš(ŽS) and Skopje were suspended from 20 October 2016 because of engineering work but reinstated for the summer season from 1 June 2017.

Owing to the migrant crisis, with effect from 21 August 2015, until further notice the Thessaloniki - Idomeni - Gevgelija section of the Thessaloniki - Beograd train has been a coach connection.

This Gevgelija - Idomeni cross-border service into Greece has been intermittently suspended previously, it ceased from 13 February 2011 along with all other border crossings with Greece but then a weekly summer-only service reportedly ran between July and September 2012. Then the Beograd [overnight] - Skopje - Thessaloniki and vv summer only service was reintroduced from 10 May 2014 until as above.

Special Notes

None.

See also