Surprise Twist: Budapest-Belgrade railway set to finish ahead of schedule!

There were rumours of a potential delay in the renovation of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line. However, recent developments suggest that, barring any unforeseen issues, the construction of the Hungarian segment of the railway, including the comprehensive overhaul of line 150, is on track to be completed soon.

This progress indicates that the travel time between the capitals of Serbia and Hungary could potentially be reduced to just 2 hours and 40 minutes. The Hungarian section of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line is now scheduled for completion on a newly announced date.

According to Világgazdaság, this update comes from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who shared this information during an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) at the end of February. CGTN, a relatively young Chinese state television network established just over seven years ago on the 31st of December 2016, serves as a platform for Vucic to provide specific insights into the progress of the Budapest-Belgrade railway construction.

Estimated completion date for the Budapest-Belgrade railway line

Aleksandar Vucic emphasised the strong bond between China and Serbia, portraying China as a close friend to Serbia with a history of positive relations between their peoples. Vucic highlighted the recent free trade agreement signed in October, which he believes will significantly expand the market for Serbian agricultural goods and wine, while also facilitating the import of Chinese products at competitive prices.

Vucic pointed out that the top three export partners of Serbia are Chinese companies, with ongoing negotiations for further investments in Serbia’s economy, particularly in infrastructure projects where Chinese firms play a pivotal role.

This discussion seamlessly transitioned to the topic of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line, illustrating its strategic significance in the broader context of economic cooperation. Vucic confirmed Serbia’s commitment to finishing the construction of the over 180-kilometre Belgrade-Szabadka railway line by the end of 2024.

Additionally, he expressed confidence in Hungary’s progress, stating that he trusts their Hungarian counterparts to complete the Hungarian section by the end of 2025 or possibly by February-March 2026. This timeline aims to establish crucial connectivity between Belgrade, Budapest and Vienna.

This updated timeline marks a significant advancement compared to the previously expected completion date, which was anticipated to be around six months later.

budapest-belgrade railway china

The importance of the Budapest-Belgrade railway

The renovation of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line would significantly reduce travel time between the Serbian and Hungarian capitals to 2 hours and 40 minutes. Long-distance trains within Hungary are expected to see a one-hour reduction in travel time between Budapest and Kelebia, while suburban passengers can anticipate up to a 20-minute decrease in journey time to Kunszentmiklós-Tass.

Additionally, plans are underway to shorten the Budapest-Vienna train journey to just 2 hours by 2025-2026, making it possible to travel from Belgrade to Vienna in less than 5 hours via a fixed route. The Budapest-Belgrade railway project involves extensive upgrades, including doubling the track to 152 kilometres and renovating a total of 339 kilometres.

These enhancements will allow for an increased authorised speed of 160 km/h, improved passenger access to platforms, construction of new station buildings and pedestrian underpasses, installation of new lifts and modernised passenger information system and implementation of safety equipment such as platform surveillance cameras.

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