Lucija Filipović takes the train almost every weekend back to her hometown of Nikšić from Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital, where she works. “I love taking the train. I take my family to the seaside every summer. But, unfortunately you can see that there are fewer people on the trains. The Montenegrins have lost trust in railway transport.”

Montenegro's railway used to be one of its big accomplishments. It was the largest and most expensive infrastructure project in the former Yugoslav federation. But now it has fallen into decay. With the European Investment Bank's help, the railway plans a comeback. Last year, the EIB approved a EUR 20 million loan to rehabilitate the line from Bar to Vrbnica on Serbia's border. The loan will be combined with the first investment grant from EU funds and the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) in Montenegro. It will also contribute to the achievement of the Bank’s Resilience Initiative objectives.

Restarting a state-of-the-art network

When it opened in 1976, it was a state-of-the-art railway, as modern and comfortable as any other rail network in the world. It’s also one of the most beautiful trips in Europe, connecting Serbia’s capital Belgrade with Montenegro's main seaport, Bar in the southwest.