The Belgrade-Budapest Railway

At 10:18 local time on October 21, 2020, with the sound of a long whistle, a train full of passengerspulled into the New Belgrade station, marking the official operation of the left line of the Belgrade-Zemun section of the Belgrade-Budapest Railway co-constructed by China Railway 21st Bureau Group Corporation Limited (CR21G) and China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau Group Co., Ltd. (CRCEBG).

Photo shows a passenger getting off the train.

The Belgrade-Budapest Railway runs 350 kilometers from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Its original line was built in the late 19th century. After modernization, the Belgrade-Budapest Railway is expected to become an electrified dual-track railway for both passenger and freight transport, with a maximum designed speed of 200 kilometers per hour. The journey between Belgrade and Budapest will be shortened to less than three hours from the current eight hours. The Belgrade-Stara Pazova section of the Belgrade-Budapest Railway, constructed with the participation of CR21G, is 34.5 kilometers long, with a total of six train stations and three boarding stations. The left line from Belgrade to Zemun (excluding) opened this time spans 7.6 kilometers long.

Photo showsa train stops at the platform.

Since September 2018, CRCC mobilized elite workers and strengthened management to ensure the successful construction of the railway project. The project office overcame difficulties, such as diverse on-site materials, complex certification systems, extremely difficult construction conditions, and the lingering of the epidemic. In accordance with the construction requirements of the Serbian railway construction authority, it made elaborate plans for organization and construction to ensure the progress, security, and quality of the project. All the staff involved in the project was on duty on the site, working for a maximum of 15 hours a day, ensuring the open of the left line of the Belgrade-Zemun section as scheduled.

Photo shows the platform of the New Belgrade station.

"It is so convenient now with the new railway. We don't have to worry about traffic jams anymore." The open of the left line of the Belgrade-Zemun section of the Belgrade-Budapest Railway has greatly shortened the distance between the Belgrade Centre station and the Zemun station, facilitating the travel of people along the line and the trips from the suburbs to the downtown. Lad, a Serbian driver and Ye Lina, an interpreter both working in the project office had a deep feeling about the opening of the railway, because they had been stucking in traffic jams for a long time everyday from their residence in Vukasoviceva street of old Belgrade to work; on Fridays, the traffic jam usually lasted for one to two hours, they recalled.

Photo shows a train driving slowly into the platform.

The Belgrade-Budapest Railway is the first Chinese railway in Europe and a key project under China's Belt and Road Initiative, marking the first docking between China's railway standards and the EU UIC standards. The operation of the left line of the Hungary section of the Belgrade-Budapest Railway laid a solid foundation and accumulated valuable experience for the construction of subsequent sections of the project. At present, the workers are busy working on other sections of the project, making the busy construction site a beautiful scene in Serbia's late autumn.

Photo shows Belgrade Center Station-New Belgrade Station tracks.