The planned protest involved a half hour sit-out on rail tracks, before the train could resume its trip to the scheduled destination.

The strike was broken out after the intervention of police and the dispersal of workers.

The state owned company said in a statement the strike was illegal.

Albania is the only country in Europe where there are no international rail links. The state-owned company is heavily-subsidized by the state.

Before the fall of Albania’s communist regime, where the private ownership of cars was illegal, railways were often the only mode of transportation.

However, since the regime collapsed in 1991, passenger and cargo numbers have dwindled, while tracks and equipment have fallen into disrepair.