Gevgelija has found beds for 233 railway workers in three days, after an accelerated cross-border rail upgrade left the North Macedonian town facing a 286-bed shortfall. Residents with spare rooms and guesthouse owners have joined the search, easing a squeeze that threatened to delay crews on the line linking Skopje with Thessaloniki.
The extra workers arrived on 5 October, weeks ahead of schedule, after the project added a second shift to finish signal work before winter. Two accommodation providers then withdrew bookings for 214 beds, saying they needed the rooms for repairs and other commitments. The shortage sharply aggravated a local dispute over apartments whose owners want to reclaim them from long-term tenants.
A timetable change, 286 beds short
The project is a joint rail modernisation effort by North Macedonian and Greek authorities on a key route between the two countries. Its latest phase needs 710 technicians and support staff, up from 430 expected this month. The works are due to run for seven weeks, and the teams must be close to the border crossing to reach separate work sites on both sides.
On Tuesday, the municipality began matching temporary lodgers with hosts. By Friday, 41 households had offered rooms, while guesthouses and two student residences provided the rest of the 233 beds secured so far. “On Tuesday we were counting mattresses; by Friday we were matching keys,” said Adam Zorić, the municipal housing coordinator.
People who were arguing over who had the right to a flat are now asking how many beds it has.
Adam Zorić, municipal housing coordinator
The shortage has sharpened a row that began in spring, when owners sought the return of apartments rented to long-term residents. Tenants argued that the notice period was too short; several cases are still before a local civil court. The municipality says no tenant has been asked to leave to make way for a rail worker, and hosts may offer rooms only with the owner’s approval.
Neighbours make room
Julianna Lewandowski, who owns a small guesthouse, said she reopened six rooms after a group of residents offered to help with breakfast and laundry. “We were frustrated with one another last month,” she said. “This week the question was simple: where can people sleep without a long bus ride?” Her rooms are booked for the next three weeks.
Stefano Esposito, a signalling technician from Italy, said he had expected to sleep in a temporary dormitory outside town. Instead, he is sharing a house with two colleagues and eats dinner at the same table as his host. “It feels less like a work camp and more like being invited into someone’s town,” he said.
The municipality has set aside 3.2 million denars (about €52,000) to cover short-term room costs and local transport. It is also drawing up a voluntary register of spare rooms, with a rule that existing tenants cannot be displaced to create a bed. Mário Zaragoça-Valentin, who represents a tenants’ advice service, said the conditions had helped bring sceptical renters into the scheme.
Officials say 53 beds are still needed, but expect two more guesthouses to join by Monday. The rail authorities have kept the work schedule unchanged, and the municipality plans to review the room register after the crews leave. For now, a town better known for its border crossing than its spare bedrooms has turned a sudden shortage into a test of neighbourly cooperation.
