Passengers traveling by train to Rinas Airport will have to cover about 500 meters to reach the terminal, due to a change in the original design of the Tirana–Rinas–Durrës railway.
According to documents obtained by Top Channel, the project approved in 2021 envisaged building the station only 60 meters from the terminal. However, two years later, Albanian Railways proposed moving it outside the airport grounds, an alternative supported by the Ministry of Infrastructure, led by Belinda Balluku.
This change shortens the railway line by 672 meters, while for transporting passengers to the terminal a dedicated bus service is envisaged as a possibility.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has confirmed that it is aware of the issue and is working with Albanian institutions to find a solution.
The railway project, worth about 130 million euros, aims to connect Tirana, Durrës and Rinas, but it remains unclear who will provide transport from the station to the terminal and how much it will cost travelers.