Most train services suspended during machinists' stoppage; Skopje–Zelenikovo commuter train still ran
Most national services were suspended between 17:00 on 31 August and 16:00 on 1 September over unpaid July wages, while the new commuter line operated.
Rail services across North Macedonia were suspended from 17:00 on 31 August until 16:00 on 1 September after machinists stopped work demanding payment of their July wages. Only the new Skopje–Zelenikovo commuter train continued to carry passengers during that interval, a discrepancy that surprised some travellers.
Commuter service ran while other lines were halted
"I was supposed to travel to Skopje on the morning train from Bitola, but there was no train. At Veles station they told us that the machinists were protesting, demanding payment of salaries. Later I saw footage in the media that day showing the new train operating from Skopje to Zelenikovo and back. Now I wonder why the machinists drive for one line and strike on others. If it's a strike, it's a strike across all directions," said a resident of Veles who was preparing to leave for Skopje on 1 September at about 07:30.
A member of the Independent Union, who is not authorised to speak publicly, told reporters: "That was not a strike, but an unannounced boycott. There was a discussion with management about paying salaries and a solution was found. The salary was released, the second installment for July, and the trains started." There has been no official explanation from the operator as to why the commuter train continued while most other services did not.
The Skopje–Zelenikovo commuter service began carrying passengers on 1 September; the formal inauguration with state leadership took place on 2 September. A single ticket costs 40 denars and a return ticket 70 denars. The timetable foresees nine departures from Zelenikovo and nine from the Transport Centre, and the journey time is scheduled at 24–28 minutes.
Declining service coverage, irregular timetables and frequent delays have contributed to a drop in rail use. According to the State Statistical Office, passenger numbers fell to 177,775 in the previous year compared with 237,648 in 2024, the lowest figure available in their series that begins in 2011 (when 1,421,403 passengers were recorded). The only exception was 2015, when migration flows pushed volumes above 1,022,274; that year some 436,000 passengers were carried from Gevgelija and 220,000 from Veles.
Regular travellers describe journeys as unreliable. "Travel feels like an adventure: you don't know when the train will arrive, whether it will arrive at all, how long the journey will take or if you'll get there," said a former rail passenger from Veles.
One passenger recalled a long delay earlier in the summer: "On 2 August we were godparents at the monastery 'Sveti Ilija' in Karabunishta, Veles municipality. When we returned in the afternoon we waited three hours for the train. At the Pchinja stop there were 15 of us, including a child with special needs and a woman seven months pregnant. There were also small children aged 4, 8, 10 and 13. Instead of 17:30 it arrived at 20:30. Shameful for the railway," she said.
Photo: К. Попов)
