Durrës-Vlorë railway
The Durrës-Vlorë railway is a now-mostly-disused railway line connecting the cities of Durrës and Vlorë in western Albania. Vlorë station is the southernmost point on the Albanian rail system.
| Durrës-Vlorë railway | |
|---|---|
 Line between Libofsh and Gradisht | |
| Overview | |
| Stations | 16 |
| Service | |
| Operator(s) | Hekurudha Shqiptare |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
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History
Before the inauguration of the national network in the 1940s, two separate systems existed south of Durrës on routes later absorbed by the present railway: a 19-mile Decauville track which carried Bitumen traffic between a mine at Selence and the port of Skele near Vlorë, and a 2-mile track between Shkozet and Lekaj.[1]
The present railway was built in stages. Rrogozhinë was the southernmost station in Albania until 1968 when an extension to Fier was completed. A further extension to Ballsh opened in 1975. Vlorë was reached by another extension in 1985.[2]
A limited service was still in operation on the line until 2015, but passenger services no longer run south of Fier.[3]
A private railway company, Albrail, was granted a concession to the railway section between Fier and Vlorë in February 2016 and started transport of crude oil from Fier to Vlorë in December 2018.[4]
Stations
| Station | Image | Opened | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durrës |  | 1949 | |
| Shkozet | 1949 | ||
| Plaz | |||
| Golem |  | ||
| Kavajë | |||
| Lekaj | |||
| Rrogozhinë |  | ||
| Dushk | 1968 | ||
| Lushnjë | 1968 | ||
| Gradisht | .jpg.webp) | 1968 | |
| Libofsh | 1968 | ||
| Fier |  | 1968 | |
| Ballsh | 1975 | No current service | |
| Levan | 1985 | No current service | |
| Novoselë | 1985 | Closed 1997 | |
| Narte | 1985 | No current service | |
| Vlorë |  | 1985 | No current service |
References
- Garratt, C; Wade-Matthews, M (1998). The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Steam and Rail. Germany: Hermes House. p. 362. ISBN 1840380888.
- "Opening Dates of HSH Standard Gauge Lines". Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- "Albania Railway Photographs". Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- "About Albrail (in Albanian)". Retrieved 21 June 2020.