History of rail transport in Albania

This article is part of the history of rail transport by country series

The Bushtrica Bridge in eastern Albania (built in 1973).

The history of rail transport in Albania may have begun as early as 1890. Until the end of World War II, Albania's railways were all narrow gauge lines, built to serve either minesites or military purposes. Only in 1947, following the takeover by the totalitarian regime of Enver Hoxha, did Albania acquire its first standard gauge public railway.

The Hoxha regime extensively promoted Albania's railway network, in particular by effectively prohibiting the use of private transport.

Since the collapse of the Hoxha regime, there has been a considerable increase in car ownership and bus usage in Albania. While some of the country's roads are still in a very poor condition, there have been other developments (such as the construction of a motorway between Tirana and Durrës) which have taken much traffic away from the railways.

See also

• History of Albania
• Rail transport in Albania
• Narrow gauge railways in Albania

References

• T.J. (19 July 2010). "Correspondent's diary, Day three: Albania's long-suffering railways". The Economist website. The Economist. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 

External links

Media related to Rail transport in Albania at Wikimedia Commons

• HSH Albanian Railways enthusiasts' site - includes a brief history of rail transport in Albania.