Serbian and Hungarian railway companies agree on cooperation in Belgrade-Budapest railroad modernization

General managers of Serbian Railways and Hungarian Railways, Dragoljub Simonovic and Ilona David, agreed on January 31st in Szeged to join their operations and enter into strategic partnership for the modernization of the Belgrade-Budapest railroad that will be financed with the proceeds of a Chinese loan. - The time it takes to reach Budapest from Belgrade by train will be shortened from current eight to only two or three hours. In order to achieve this, we need an investment of about EUR 1.5 billion, about 870 million euros of which would be spent on the railroad stretch in the Serbian territory - said Simonovic.

He told Tanjug news agency that trains on that railroad in Serbia would travel at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, adding that trains could develop a speed of about 200 km/h on the stretch between Novi Sad and Subotica.

Considering that the Chinese are famous for building high-speed rails, it is estimated that the stretch from Belgrade to the Hungarian border could be finished one year after the work is commenced.

The Belgrade-Subotica railroad was built in the period 1882-1884, whereas the last overhaul was done 33 years ago, in 1980.

Železnice Srbije a.d. Beograd

Saobraćajni institut CIP d.o.o. Beograd

Hungarian Railways

Dragoljub Simonovic

Ilona David

Belgrade Budapest railroad

train

Belgrade Budapest

Budapest

Belgrade Subotica railroad

Chinese railway loan