 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Government of Kosovo  |
| Headquarters | , |
| Revenue | 1,745,130 euro (2024) |
| −435,182 euro (2024) | |
| −488,629 euro (2024) | |
| Total assets | 3,255,393 euro (2024) |
Number of employees | 173 (2024) |
| Parent | Government of Kosovo |
| Website | http://www.trainkos.com |
Trainkos is a private railway company based inKosovo that also serves as the national rail carrier of the country. Established in 2011 alongside Infrakos, the two companies are the successors of Kosovo Railways, a public company that was split up and privatized. Trainkos offers rail service for both passengers and freight.[1]
The first railway line in Kosovo was built in 1873 underTurkish guidance for theCompagnie des Chemins de Fer Orientaux (CO), led byMaurice de Hirsch. It started inThessaloniki, went on north toSkopje and reachedMitrovica.
The railway was used by the Ottomans until 1912, and after theBalkan Wars, it was used by theSerbian Railways until 1918, and then theYugoslav Railways between 1918 and 1992. Serbian Railways stopped their operations in Kosovo after theKosovo War in 1999 and thenUNMIK established the public company Kosovo Railways.[2]
After Kosovo'sdeclaration of independence, Kosovo Railways came under management by theGovernment of Kosovo, which split up the company in order to avoid monopoly and privatized it in 2011. Now Trainkos manages passenger and freight travel, while Infrakos manages the rail network.
Trainkos operates 430 km (267 mi) of railway in Kosovo, of which 333 km (207 mi) serve both freight and passenger and 97 km (60 mi) only serve freight traffic. The non-electrified network originally consisted of two lines crossing atFushë Kosovë railway station inFushë Kosovë: A main line going fromKraljevo in westernSerbia viaMitrovicë andFushë Kosovë to Skopje inNorth Macedonia, and a branch line in east-west direction fromNiš in southern Serbia viaPristina railway station in the capitalPristina and Fushë Kosovë with one branch leading toPeja and the other one toPrizren. Of these lines, the one from Pristina to Peja is still served by passenger trains, while the one from Fushë Kosovë to North Macedonia is currently inoperational as of August 2025 due to severely delayed construction on the route.[3] Some other parts of the network are occasionally served by freight trains, like Fushë Kosovë -Obiliq; the other parts of the network are currently unused. For years, there have been plans to extend the branch to Prizren across the border toAlbania, to create a link to the network of theAlbanian Railways. However, these projects are no more than letters of intent.
Albania -no connection
Montenegro -no connection
North Macedonia -open
Serbia -open inZvečan/Lešak (though not connected to the main Trainkos network) andclosed inMerdareSince 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 betweenHani i Elezit andLeshak which constitutes part ofPan-European Corridor X and is the backbone of the TrainKos network.
Work has been split into 3 sections, beginning with theHani i Elezit-Fushë Kosovë section (67 km), continuing with theFushë Kosovë-Mitrovicë section (34 km) and finally being completed with theMitrovicë-Leshak section (46 km).
In 2022 theEuropean Investment Bank (EIB) provided funds of EUR 84.8 million for the first phase of the modernisation (Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje – border with North Macedonia) for which EUR 43 million comes from grants, while EUR 40.8 million from loans.[4] Work on two collapsed tunnels was completed in November 2023 enabling trains to travel again between Hani i Elezit and Fushë Kosovë connecting Prishtina directly to Skopje and Thessaloniki, on the 10th corridor.[5]
For Phase 2, needed EUR 51.1 million for the 35 km Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje – Mitrovicë / Mitrovica section including five stations to allow passenger and freight trains to run at 100 km/h and a freight axle load of 22.5 tonnes. This project section received EUR 18.58 million in grants and EUR 29.3 million in loans.[4]
Phase 3 saw the funds drive for the modernisation of 47 km of tracks and the associated railway stations between Mitrovicë/Mitrovica and the border with Serbia. The project received a total financing of EUR 100.9 million, of which EUR 1.3 million from grants (EBRD and WBIF) and EUR 25.1 million from loans (from EBRD and EIB).[4]
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 theMitrovicë-Leshak section, the third phase of modernisation also includes improvement of signalling, telecommunication, and electrification. Altogether, the modernisation of the line from the Macedonian border to the Serbian border is €208 million. The project is expected to be complete in 2023.[6][7]
Trainkos operates three services:Local train,Freedom of Movement andInterCity. Usually, the trains consist of either two formerSJY1DMUs or a formerNSB Di 3 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 andHani i Elezit (border ofNorth Macedonia), 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 toSkopje 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.
National freight traffic is of importance, as it serves various industries such ascalcium 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:
On 3 March 2008 (three weeks after the declaration of independence of Kosovo), the Serbian railwaysŽS (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.
As of 2009[update], ŽS (Srbija Voz) runs trains betweenKraljevo andNorth Kosovska 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.[8] The political situation prevents any train services betweenZvečan and Kosovska Mitrovica (the line would be in operating condition). From Kosovska Mitrovica, the line is, in principle, controlled by Kosovo Railways, but there is no regular freight or passenger traffic untilObiliq (freight) orFushë Kosovë (passengers) respectively.
On January 13, 2017 ŽS announced that North Kosovska Mitrovica – Kraljevo line will be extended to run as an express train directly toBelgrade. This line would connect North Kosovska Mitrovica with Belgrade viaRaška,Kraljevo,Kragujevac,Lapovo andMladenovac. This was first time since Kosovo war that direct express train service was established between Belgrade and Kosovo. Adiplomatic incident ensued, which led to the train returning to Belgrade without reaching Kosovo; the direct connection to Belgrade has not been reestablished since.
The rolling stock partly stems from the former Yugoslav Railways, and was partly imported from various European countries, such as via theKosovo Train for Life charter train that arrived in Pristina on 7 September 1999 bringingaid and rolling stock from the United Kingdom and Germany in connection with theKosovo Force peace-keeping efforts.[9]
Five types of locomotives are in use. There are former Yugoslav diesel-electricclass 661 locomotives built byGeneral Motors, formerNSB Di 3 locomotives ("NOHABs") imported from Norway (also a construction by General Motors, but built in Sweden by the NoHAB works), a singleVossloh 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 singleEMD 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.
| Number | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Former HŽ 2044-031 | Operational passenger traffic |
| 002 | Former JŽ 661 132 | Non Operational |
| 003 | Former JŽ 661 228 | Operational, freight traffic |
| 004 | Former JŽ 661 231 | Non Operational |
| 005 | FormerNSB Di3a 619 | Non Operational, passenger and freight traffic |
| 006 | FormerNSB Di3a 633 | Broken electrical generator, in repair (July 2009) Scrapped |
| 007 | FormerNSB Di3b 641 | Operational, passenger and freight traffic — scrapped |
| 008 | FormerNSB Di3b 643 (VR KDs1 2402) | Non Operational, Brake fault — scrapped |
| 009 | Vossloh G 1700-2 BB | Operational, freight traffic |
| 010 | JT38CW-DC Gredelj-Croatia | Operational, freight traffic |
| Former HŽ 2061-501 |
Normally, all trains between Fushë Kosovë and Peja are run with former SJ class Y1 diesel railcars built byFiat. Sometimes, the Y1 are also used on the line to Hani i Elezit. There are also some formerFS classALn 668 railcars available, but these are not needed any more since the delivery of the Y1 and are currently parked at Fushë Kosovë.
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Built | Builder | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | |||||||
| 5800 |  | Y1 | 81 | 130 | 4 | 1979-1981 | Fiat,Kalmar Verkstad | Former SJ 1281, 1304, 1306, 1313). Were sold in 2007 to Kosovo[10] for local trains betweenPristina andPeja. The railcars were renumbered 01, 02, 03, 04 (but still carry their old numbers below the new numbers) and have a red and yellow livery. |
| FS ALn 668 |  | ALn 668 | 67 | 110 | 3 | 1966 | Fiat | Former Italian Railways 1528, 1531, 1534. In principle operational, small defects, currently not needed |
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 ofMakedonski Železnici.
| Description | Image | Type | Number | Built | Builder | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ex DB n-Wagen | Silberling | 10 | FormerDB, refurbished by Šinvoz in 2017.UIC-numbering: AB 50 80 31-35 114-3 | |||
| Schlierenwagen |  | Bpz | 7 | 1977-1980 | SGP,JW | FormerÖBB. Acquired in 2009/2011.UIC-numbering: 50 81 29-35 411-6, 507-1, 535-2, 548-5, 675-6, 714-3, 749-9 |
| Schlierenwagen |  | BDpz | 3 | 1978 | JW | FormerÖBB. Acquired in 2009/2011.UIC-numbering: 50 81 82-35 421-9, 426-8, 428-4 |
| B1 |  | B1 | 10 | 1960-1968 | Kalmar Verkstad | FormerSJ. 62 seats. Acquired in 2004. (UIC-)numbering: B1KU 5096 UIC 50 00 20-76 307-3 |
| UIC-Y Bl |  | B1 | 10 | GOŠA | FormerJŽ. UIC 50 72 20-10 513-8, 520-3, 541-0, 554-1, 555-8, 635-0, 737-3, 743-1 |
