Hungary’s long-awaited Budapest-Belgrade railway is moving closer to completion, with domestic passenger services potentially launching in the second half of October and international trains following in December.
Key safety tests completed
The Hungarian section of the Budapest-Belgrade railway has passed two important tests ahead of its planned opening to passenger traffic. According to Dávid Vitézy, Hungary’s transport and investment minister, both the full-load test and the inspection of the European Train Control System (ETCS) train control system were completed successfully.
Vitézy said the results are particularly important because the proper operation of ETCS is a fundamental condition for launching passenger services on the newly built railway line. The official documentation needed to close the testing process is expected by mid-October.
If everything proceeds according to plan, domestic passenger services could begin in the second half of October.
Final track work still underway
The railway is not quite ready for full-speed operation yet. The contractor still has to carry out the final warranty track alignment work, which is expected to take almost two months.
The work involves precisely adjusting the tracks and points at stations as well as sections of open railway line. This is a standard final stage before a new railway is put into service, particularly when trains are expected to travel at speeds of up to 160 km/h.
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During construction and full-load testing, the crushed-stone track bed can become further compacted, meaning that the position of the rails and points needs to be adjusted again. Maintaining the correct track geometry is especially important for safe high-speed operation.
The work has been scheduled so that the track alignment on the Ferencváros–Kunszentmiklós-Tass suburban section can be completed by the end of October. This would allow domestic passenger trains to start operating while the remaining work continues with fewer restrictions.
International Budapest-Belgrade trains could follow in December
If the first weeks of domestic passenger services run smoothly, the next major step could come in December. Vitézy said that the authorities could then move towards fully using the line’s 160 km/h design speed and launching international passenger services between Budapest and Belgrade.
However, both dates are conditional. Vitézy stressed that passengers will only be allowed onto the railway once all necessary safety requirements have been met.
The Budapest-Belgrade railway project has been one of Hungary’s most closely watched and controversial infrastructure investments. The Hungarian section has undergone extensive testing and technical checks before passenger services can begin.
