Western Balkans Railway Summit: Future on Rails

First Western Balkans Railway Summit ,Belgrade, Sept. 13,(BETAPHOTO/VLADA SRBIJE/SLOBODAN MILJEVIC/MO)

The region's transportation ministers attending the first Western Balkans Railway Summit in Belgrade, on Sept. 13, agreed that a modern, digitalized railway network connecting the major Western Balkan cities would improve connectivity, offer a safer mode of transport for business travel and tourists alike, and support the sustainability of the environment.

The ministers signed the documents titled "Commitment to Railways" at the conference, co-organized by the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) under the auspices of the Ministry of Construction, Transportation and Infrastructure.

Aside from the transportation ministers of the region and the neighboring countries, the Summit was attended by representatives of the European Commission and professionals in the railway sector, discussing the development of regional and European transportation policies and contributions to digitalized, sustainable railway systems in the region.

The summit has produced a list of priorities, including the re-establishment of the region's railway network to improve regional and European connectivity, the development of a digital railway system to support exchange of information in cross-border transportation of passengers and goods, safer railway crossings and an open railways market, the EBRD said in a press release.