Higher railway passenger/cargo traffic in Albania

DURRES, Sept. 4 – Both passenger and cargo traffic of the Albanian railway saw a significant rise in the first half this year, according to the state-run company Hekurudha Shqiptare (HSH). Passenger traffic through June rose by 33.9 percent annually, while cargo traffic increased by 27.7 percent. The company carried 811,600 passengers and 244,200 tones of cargo in the first half of 2006. The company handled 18,022,000 ton-kilometres (tkm) of cargo in the first six months, up 54.6 percent on the year. Reopening of a key railroad section from Durres to Tirana in enabled HSH to increase passenger traffic. It was blocked because of a collapsed bridge for almost the whole first half last year. The railway company served 1.42 million passengers last year, down 18.9 percent. HSH plans to transport 1.8 million passengers this year.