Budapest-Belgrade railway line: Construction resumes, date of the Hungarian section’s completion out

Track construction work has resumed on the Hungarian section of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line after the Sino-Hungarian construction team halted it last September, according to a 9 May article on China’s state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN). In an interview, Viktor Orbán also revealed when the Hungarian section will be completed.

Hungarian section of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line

After Telex and Daily News Hungary reported last September that there were serious problems with the construction of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line, Chinese state-owned CGTN has now announced that construction has resumed.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gave an interview to CGTN. In it, he shared that

the Hungarian section of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line will be completed in 2026, and traffic will start in that year.

In response to a question from the reporter, he said that he was absolutely certain that the line would start in 2026.

Orbán also revealed that Hungary will seek to improve relations between the EU and China during its EU Presidency, Világgazdaság writes based on the interview.

Background of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line

Photo: FB

The foundation stone for the reconstruction was laid in October 2021.

The project is worth around EUR 1.7 billion, 85% of which is financed by a fixed-rate loan from China, with the remaining 15% financed by the Hungarian state from its own resources, Világgazdaság writes.

After construction, it will take 2 hours and 40 minutes to cover the distance between the Serbian and Hungarian capitals.

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