Passenger services on the Budapest–Belgrade railway could begin later this autumn, provided the final safety tests on the Hungarian section are completed successfully, Hungarian Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy said following talks with Serbian Transport Minister Aleksandra Sofronijević in Subotica on Thursday.
Vitézy said the new Hungarian government had been critical of certain aspects of the project’s implementation in Hungary but regarded the early completion of the railway as a strategic priority because it would strengthen Serbia’s European integration and improve transport links between the two countries.
He added that the Danube’s unprecedentedly low water level had contributed to an energy crisis in Hungary, which he described as a direct consequence of climate change, making the development of both freight and passenger rail transport even more important.
According to the minister, construction of the Hungarian infrastructure has been completed and freight trains are already operating on the line. The remaining work involves finalizing the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 signalling system, which will allow passenger trains to operate at speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour.
Vitézy said the Chinese supplier of the system had recently confirmed that the equipment was ready, and large-scale testing began on the full Hungarian section between Budapest and Kelebia on Wednesday. The tests are expected to be completed within two weeks.
‘If the tests are successful, there will be no obstacle to launching passenger services this autumn,’ Vitézy said, adding that any safety-critical issues identified during the trials would be corrected before operations begin.
He also said Hungarian and Serbian experts had begun resolving the remaining technical and operational issues, including finalizing the timetable to ensure a smooth start to passenger services.
Both sides agreed that high-quality rail connections with regular direct services between Budapest and Belgrade were needed, with the possibility of extending routes to Vienna in the future.
Representatives of the Hungarian and Serbian border authorities, police and railway operators also attended the meeting to discuss practical arrangements.
Vitézy added that Hungary was ready to cooperate with Serbia on improving road connections in the Vojvodina region, including expanding the Hercegszántó border crossing to speed up road traffic between the two countries.
Sofronijević said test passenger journeys between Belgrade and Budapest in both directions would be conducted after 24 August to verify operational procedures, including the border crossing process. She added that, alongside the safety testing, the Hungarian and Serbian railway companies were working on the timetable for the new service.
The Serbian minister also highlighted ongoing cooperation between the two countries on transport projects, including the development of rail and road infrastructure and the use of the Danube as a European transport corridor.
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