Train travel in North Macedonia

Train travel in North Macedonia is limited, slow, and rarely the best option. The domestic network spreads out from Skopje on a handful of lines, with one to four trains per day on each route. All international passenger services to Serbia, Greece, and Kosovo have been suspended since 2020. If you are planning a Balkan rail trip and hoping to cross borders by train, North Macedonia will not help you.

Trains do run, and they cost very little. Some sections of track pass through striking river gorge scenery. For certain journeys they are a reasonable choice. But for most routes, the bus is faster and more reliable, and that is the honest answer to most planning questions here.

The network in brief

ŽRSM (Železnici na Republika Severna Makedonija) runs all passenger trains in North Macedonia. The network covers roughly 925 km of standard-gauge track, with 315 km electrified on the main north-south corridor.

The backbone is Pan-European Corridor X: an electrified line from Tabanovce at the Serbian border south through Kumanovo, Skopje, Veles, Demir Kapija, and Gevgelija to the Greek border. This is the most developed part of the network and the only fully electrified route.

Branch lines reach west toward Tetovo and Kičevo, and southwest via Veles and Prilep to Bitola. The eastern branch to Štip and Kočani has had no passenger service since 2020. Stations along it are reportedly disused.

Active passenger lines

As of mid-2026, these domestic routes operate:

Route	Approximate journey time	Approximate daily frequency
Skopje to Gevgelija	3 to 4 hours	1 to 2 trains
Skopje to Bitola (via Veles, Prilep)	3.5 to 4.5 hours	1 to 2 trains
Skopje to Veles	around 1 hour	2 to 3 trains
Skopje to Kumanovo	around 1 hour	around 4 trains
Skopje to Kičevo (via Tetovo)	variable	limited service

Timetables shift without much warning, and trains cancel at short notice. Check the ŽRSM Transport website (mzt.mk) before you travel, then confirm at the station. On the day of travel, asking a member of station staff is more reliable than any online schedule.

Skopje station

The train station sits inside Skopje's Transport Center, a combined rail-and-bus terminal in the city centre. The ticket office is on the ground floor. Pay in Macedonian denars (MKD) cash; bank cards are generally not accepted at station counters.

You can also buy a ticket from the conductor on board. This may cost slightly more. No seat reservation is needed on any domestic train in North Macedonia.

The building is functional. Escalators are often out of service, waiting areas may be closed, and facilities are basic. The bus terminal next door is usually easier to navigate than the rail side.

International connections

No regular international passenger trains run to or from North Macedonia. Services to Belgrade (Serbia), Thessaloniki (Greece), and Pristina (Kosovo) were all suspended around 2020 and had not resumed as of mid-2026.

The infrastructure exists. Corridor X runs unbroken from the Serbian border through Skopje to the Greek border, and cross-border tracks are in place. But no scheduled passenger trains use them.

Destination	Route	Status
Serbia (Belgrade)	Via Tabanovce	Suspended
Greece (Thessaloniki)	Via Gevgelija	Suspended
Kosovo (Pristina)	Via Volkovo	Suspended
Bulgaria	No direct line	No direct connection exists

Use buses for cross-border travel. Coach operators run daily departures on the Skopje to Belgrade and Skopje to Thessaloniki corridors. You can check departures from Skopje's bus terminal, which shares the same building as the train station.

There is no direct rail link to Bulgaria. Travellers wanting to reach Bulgaria by rail must route via Serbia or Greece, and only when those services are running.

Getting to Ohrid

There is no train to Ohrid. This catches out a lot of visitors. Ohrid is North Macedonia's main tourist destination, but it has no rail connection.

Your best option is the direct bus from Skopje, which takes roughly three to three and a half hours and runs several times daily from the bus terminal. A train to Bitola or Kičevo followed by a local bus to Ohrid is possible, but longer and more complicated. Take the direct bus.

Key stations beyond Skopje

Veles is the main junction. Trains from Skopje split here: south to Gevgelija on Corridor X, or southwest via Prilep to Bitola. Any journey between these two southern branches passes through Veles, which sits along the Vardar River.

Bitola is North Macedonia's second city and the terminus of the southwest branch. The route from Skopje via Veles and Prilep covers roughly 200 km through agricultural land in the Pelagonia plain. Journey times of 3.5 to 4.5 hours reflect the slow speeds on this line.

Gevgelija is the last station before the Greek border on Corridor X. When international trains ran, this was where border formalities took place for services to Thessaloniki. As of mid-2026, no cross-border passenger trains stop here.

Kumanovo is 40 km north of Skopje on the route toward Serbia. The line reportedly resumed more regular service in 2025. Check the current ŽRSM timetable to confirm frequency before travelling.

Train or bus?

For most journeys in North Macedonia, the bus is faster and more frequent. This is not a marginal difference.

Take the train if you are on a tight budget and have time to spare, or if you want to experience the Corridor X section through the Vardar valley, which is genuinely scenic. Skopje to Kumanovo and Skopje to Veles are the most practical short train journeys from the capital.

Take the bus for Bitola, Ohrid, Štip, Kočani, anywhere in the east, and all international destinations. The bus network covers most of the country with more departures and shorter journey times on most corridors.

Ticket fares

Tickets cost very little by European standards. Short domestic routes typically cost well under 200 MKD. Longer journeys such as Skopje to Bitola are likely to fall below 500 MKD. These figures are rough guides; check at the Skopje ticket office or on the ŽRSM Transport website for current fares, as prices can change.

Payment is in MKD cash. There is no online booking for domestic tickets.

Rail passes

Interrail and Eurail both sell a North Macedonia One Country Pass. These are separate products from their respective Global Passes, which do not cover North Macedonia.

• Interrail North Macedonia Pass: for European residents. Available from interrail.eu.

• Eurail North Macedonia Pass: for non-European residents. Available from eurail.com.

Given the limited network and low domestic fares in MKD, a rail pass will rarely save money on a trip focused on North Macedonia alone. It may make sense if you are building a specific itinerary around the Macedonian rail network or want the flexibility without buying individual tickets.

If you hold a Global Interrail or Eurail Pass for a broader European trip, note that it does not extend to North Macedonia. You will need to buy point-to-point tickets in MKD or a separate North Macedonia One Country Pass for travel within the country.

Current pass prices depend on age category and number of travel days. Check interrail.eu or eurail.com for up-to-date pricing before you buy.

The operator: ŽRSM

The former Makedonski Železnici (MŽ, Macedonian Railways) was split into two state-owned companies in 2007:

• ŽRSM Infrastruktura: manages tracks, stations, and signalling

• ŽRSM Transport: runs passenger and freight train services

All domestic passenger trains are operated by ŽRSM Transport. For timetable information, mzt.mk is the official source, but station staff on the day are more reliable for anything time-sensitive.

Private freight operator Balkan Rail also uses parts of the network, particularly on Corridor X. This has no effect on passenger services.

Rolling stock

ŽRSM Transport runs a mixed fleet. The newer electric multiple units (EMUs) are Chinese-built CRRC sets contracted in 2014 and delivered from 2015. They provide air conditioning and reasonably comfortable seating when maintained.

Older diesel multiple units (DMUs) and locomotive-hauled coaches serve non-electrified lines and some Corridor X workings. These are worn, can lack functioning air conditioning, and are slow. The difference between a newer EMU and an older coach is significant.

Not all EMUs are in service at any given time. Maintenance and spare parts shortages have put some out of operation.

What to expect on board

Speeds rarely exceed 60 to 80 km/h on most sections. Journey times are longer than distances suggest.

Delays are normal. Do not plan tight onward connections that depend on a North Macedonia train arriving on time.

Station facilities outside Skopje are minimal. English signage is inconsistent; at smaller stations it may be absent. Having your destination written in Macedonian Cyrillic can help.

No catering is available on trains. Bring food and water for any journey over an hour.

Passenger numbers and context

Ridership fell from around 1.5 million annual passengers in 2011 to roughly 400,000 by 2022. The network operates at a fraction of its theoretical capacity. ŽRSM Transport and ŽRSM Infrastruktura both carry significant debt and depend on state subsidies and international loans to continue operations.

This context is useful to know because it explains the low frequency, the underinvestment, and the uncertainty around timetables. The railway is maintained enough to run, but not in a way that prioritises passenger convenience.

Future projects

Corridor X modernisation: EU and EBRD funding has supported track renewal, signalling upgrades, and speed improvements on the main north-south line since the 2010s. Sections between Dračevo and Veles and between Kumanovo and Deljadrovci are among the stretches identified for reconstruction.

Corridor VIII eastern extension: A planned new line from Kumanovo through Beljakovce and Kriva Palanka toward the Bulgarian border. Contracts for the first sections were signed in July 2022; a January 2024 tender covered 23.4 km of new track involving 22 tunnels and 52 bridges across difficult mountain terrain. Completion has been described as 2027 to 2030, though this link has been under discussion for over a century and previous timelines have slipped. Take the date as a planning aspiration rather than a firm commitment.

A western extension from Kičevo toward Albania has been proposed but is not under active construction.

A brief history

The first standard-gauge railway in the region opened in 1873, when an Ottoman-era line linked Skopje to Thessaloniki. The connection placed Skopje on one of the main corridors between central Europe and the Aegean.

The 1963 earthquake badly damaged Skopje's original station building, which now houses the Museum of the City of Skopje. The current station opened as part of the Transport Center complex in the late 1970s.

In April 2023, the Museum of Macedonian Railways opened in Skopje to mark 150 years of rail in the country.

Country notes

North Macedonia is a small landlocked country with a population of around 2 million. Skopje is home to approximately 600,000 people. The official currency is the Macedonian denar (MKD). The country is an EU candidate but is not in the Schengen zone, so border formalities apply at international crossings.

Macedonian is the official language, written in the Cyrillic script. Albanian is widely spoken in western parts of the country.

Practical summary

• Tickets are bought in MKD cash at the station or from the conductor; bank cards are generally not accepted

• No seat reservation needed on any domestic train

• Timetables can change; confirm at the station on the day of travel

• All international services suspended since around 2020; use buses for cross-border travel

• No train to Ohrid; take the direct bus from Skopje's bus terminal

• Bring food and water; no catering on trains

• Allow for delays on all journeys