High-speed rail improves travel, economy in Balkans

Passengers get off a train that departed from Belgrade at the Novi Sad railway station in Novi Sad, Serbia, on April 29. [Li Ying/Xinhua]

The railway linking the Serbian capital Belgrade and the Hungarian capital Budapest dates back to 1883, when the Orient Express traveled between Paris and what is now known as Istanbul at an average speed of about 40 kilometers per hour.

More than 140 years later, a 342-km high-speed railway linking the capitals will travel at a top speed of 200 km/h and upon completion will shorten the trip to three hours from the current eight.

In Serbia, the 80-km Belgrade-Novi Sad section of the railway began operation on March 19, 2022, and has facilitated the movement of people and even brought a new commuter lifestyle.

More than 7 million passenger trips have been made, according to China Railway International.

An average of 62 passenger trains operate every day, with peak daily passenger volume reaching 15,059.

"The safe, efficient, convenient and comfortable high-speed railway has created a better travel experience for passengers, and has been widely favored by people along the line. The volume of passenger trips has continued to increase significantly, with the train occupancy rate remaining at a relatively high level," the company said.

"As the line shortens travel time between the two cities, more and more people are embarking on a new commuter lifestyle as they travel between the two cities," it said.

The railway facilitates the movement of people, cargo, capital and information, driving the development of commercial and tourism industries.

The number of passengers traveling to historical and cultural attractions along the line is increasing, creating a large number of job opportunities, bringing development opportunities to more enterprises and greatly promoting socioeconomic growth in the region, according to the company.

Twenty-seven-year-old Aleksandra Radovanovic lives in Belgrade and works in Novi Sad. The operation of the Belgrade-Novi Sad railway section has shortened her commute from 90 minutes to about 30.

Serbian engineer Milan Banovic, an engineer with the Hungary-Serbia Railway, now commutes to work every day on this line.

"It has brought revolutionary changes. With the high-speed railway operating at 200 km/h, the difference compared to the past is incomparable. People are satisfied, the train's occupancy rates are high, and the passenger volume continues to increase," Banovic said.

Marko Jeremic, an engineer at Serbian Railways, said the ticket prices are affordable.

He said that collaboration with China Railway International on the high-speed line made it possible for Serbia to be the railway leader in the western Balkans.

"In that way, we became the leader because no other neighboring countries — Croatia, Hungary and Bulgaria — have high-speed lines over 160 kilometers per hour," he said.

The 108-km remaining leg of the line in Serbia — between Novi Sad and Subotica — completed tracklaying work last month, a step in preparation for the line's operation in Serbia by the end of this year.

The 342-km Serbia-Hungary Railway is an important Belt and Road Initiative project in Europe. Upon completion, the Serbian section of the railway will total 183 km, with a designed top speed of 200 km/h. The Hungarian section will be 159 km and have a top speed of 160 km/h.

The Serbian section is expected to be operational by the end of this year. The Hungarian section is under construction. Upon completion, travel time between Belgrade and Budapest will be reduced from eight hours to about three.

The railway is the flagship cooperation project between China and Central and Eastern European countries, and the first project to align China's railway technology and equipment with the European Union's technical specifications for railway connectivity.

Xinhua contributed to this story.