The government will allocate 2.5 million euros to the Railway Infrastructure Company (ŽICG) from the current budget reserve, as the 10 million euros they received through this year’s railway infrastructure maintenance program is insufficient for the normal operations of this state-owned enterprise.

This decision made by the Government during a session two days ago was prompted by a letter from ŽICG to the Ministry of Transport, which stated that the 10 million euros provided was “less than what is needed for the functionality of the railway system, resulting in the inability to acquire all spare parts, materials, and equipment necessary for maintaining all infrastructure components as mandated by law.”

Furthermore, this amount is inadequate as they are unable to pay employee salaries under the Europe Now 2 initiative. They stressed their essential role in ongoing maintenance, traffic regulation, and securing and implementing international financial resources for necessary renovations.

“To maintain the safety and functionality of infrastructure that is over 50 years old and subjected to daily wear from use and climate impacts, an increased funding allocation for ongoing maintenance is crucial. Further attempts to manage operations with existing funds pose a direct risk of traffic disruptions, technical failures, and potential threats to human lives and property,” was the rationale for requesting additional funding.

ŽICG is scheduled to commence the reconstruction of the Golubovci – Bar railway. However, despite previous announcements indicating that work would begin in 2025, it will not start this year due to unmet essential conditions: the signing of a financial agreement with the project’s financiers, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the completion of the main project, and the announcement of a contractor tender.

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