Last Friday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić inaugurated the Novi Sad–Subotica section of the Hungary–Serbia high-speed railway, marking the opening of Serbia’s section of this landmark regional project.

A train departed from Belgrade in the morning and arrived in Subotica approximately one hour later, where a grand opening ceremony was held.

Mr Vučić hailed the railway as a generational achievement that “will forever be written into the history books”.

“From now on, you can reach Belgrade from Subotica in one hour and 10 minutes, and by next year, you will be able to travel from here to Budapest in just one hour and 35 minutes. This is something our ancestors could not have imagined, and it is something our generation will leave behind as a lasting legacy,” he said.

The president emphasised that the project was realised through close cooperation between Serbia, Hungary, and China, and he praised China’s role in Serbia’s modernisation efforts.

The Serbian section was built by China Railway International and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and has a maximum operating speed of 200 km/h. Officials said the new line would shorten travel times, boost tourism, attract foreign investment, and establish an economic corridor through northern Serbia.

According to the contractors, the project has already created over 1,000 jobs in Serbia, upgraded the country’s signalling system to the European Train Control System (ETCS Level 2) and incorporated extensive environmental protection measures.

Li Ming, the Chinese Ambassador to Serbia, called the project a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative in Central and Eastern Europe, describing it as “a new milestone in the ironclad friendship” between the two countries. ‘This is the first high-speed railway built by a Chinese company in Europe that is fully aligned with European Union technical standards,’ said Li, noting that construction began in 2017 and took eight years to complete.

Hungary’s Deputy Transport Minister, Nándor Csepreghy, said that the Hungarian section is expected to open next year, ensuring direct high-speed travel between Belgrade and Budapest.

The 341.7 km Hungary-Serbia railway includes a 183.1 km section in Serbia. The Belgrade–Novi Sad section of the railway started operating in March 2022.