This will be the all-time fastest train in Hungary, motorway remains closed for almost a year
Dynamic testing of the Belgrade-Budapest superfast train started close to the Hungarian border. The subcontractor, the Deutsche Bahn Systemtechnik’s measurement train reaches 200 km/h in some sections. If ready, this will be the fastest train ever running in Hungary, but there is no news about finishing the Hungarian section of the line.
Train speed between Budapest and Belgrade may reach 200 km/h
According to Infostart, the testing period of the last, 100-km-long segment of the Belgrade-Budapest railway line in Serbia will be over on 10 October. Provided everything goes according to plans, the first scheduled train will begin carrying passengers on 25 November between Subotica (Szabadka) and Belgrade (184 kilometres). The stretch will take only 70 minutes, with trains running in both directions from 5 AM to 10 PM.
The Serbian President and the Greek prime minister announced earlier this year that they would add 1,500 kilometres to the Belgrade-Budapest line to establish a connection with Athens. The line is ready between Belgrade and Novi Sad (Újvidék). The high-speed train ‘Soko’ (‘Falcon’ in Serbian) completes the 76-kilometre-long segment in only 35 minutes.
Nothing is certain about the Hungarian line’s upgrade
In Serbia, the construction continued and in the last two years, the subcontractor renewed the Szabadka-Újvidék line. Szabadka (Subotica) is a town close to the Hungarian-Serbian border with a large Hungarian minority (26.2% in 2022). The dynamic testing started on the line and the German Deutsche Bahn Systemtechnik’s measurement train commutes at 200 km/h in some segments.
Therefore, the Serbian State Railways warned people to be extremely cautious near the railway line. Before, a woman was almost hit by a train in a suburban station in Belgrade. Here is the shocking video:
Péter Szijjártó called the Belgrade-Budapest railway upgrade projects the flagship of the Central European infrastructure developments. He added the new line would be ready by 2025. However, Serbian President Vucic talked about summer 2026. Infostart highlighted that nothing is certain about the end of the project. PM Viktor Orbán also confirmed the 2026 finish date in an interview.
The general elections will be held in Hungary in spring 2026.
Hungarian motorway remains closed for almost a year
A section of the M30 motorway, which connects Miskolc (NE Hungary) with the border of Slovakia, is undergoing repairs under warranty, the Construction and Transportation Ministry said on Friday. The ministry noted that the stretch, between Miskolc and Szikszó, had been closed since February because of cracks and sinking. Experts estimate that repairs could take 10-11 months, it added. The stretch, built by a consortium of STRABAG ÉpÃtÅ‘ Ltd. and STRABAG AG and opened in October 2021, is still under warranty.
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It won’t be the fastest train in Hungary, line speeds with be max 160kph in Hungary, same as those on stretches between Hegyeshalom and Budapest. There are other stretches of track capable of 160kph speeds in Hungary, but due to the quality of rolling stock, lack of necessary safety equipment or maintenance (sometimes all three), speeds are limited to 120 kph. I view the upgrade of the Belgrade line as a missed opportunity, particularly when the same train will be travelling at 200 kph on the Serbian stretch. The Hungarian stretch is behind schedule, over budget and will offer line speeds considered slow by European standards in the 21st Century despite the cost.