On Friday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic marked a milestone in regional travel by inaugurating the Novi Sad-Subotica stretch of the Hungary-Serbia high-speed rail. This line, designed and built by China Railway International and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), brings modern rail travel to the heart of the Balkans.
A morning departure from Belgrade reached Subotica in just one hour—slicing journey times in half. At the inauguration, Vucic celebrated the project as a "generational achievement" that will be "forever written into the history books."
Looking ahead, Vucic outlined even faster links: "From Subotica, you will now reach Belgrade in one hour and 10 minutes, and by next year, from here to Budapest in just one hour and 35 minutes. This is a legacy our generation will leave behind."
Engineered for speeds up to 200 km/h and equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS Level 2), the 183.1-km Serbian section aims to boost tourism, attract investment, and forge an economic corridor through northern Serbia.
Built over eight years since 2017, the project created more than 1,000 local jobs and integrated extensive environmental safeguards. Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming hailed the railway as a Belt and Road Initiative flagship in Central and Eastern Europe—the first Chinese-built high-speed rail in Europe meeting EU standards.
With Hungary’s section set to open next year, travelers can soon zip between Belgrade and Budapest on a fully high-speed route spanning 341.7 km. For young global citizens, entrepreneurs, and wanderers alike, this rail line signals a new chapter in sustainable, cross-border connectivity.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
