Passengers take photos on a high-speed train on the Hungary-Serbia Railway.

Photo by Liu Yuxin

The autumn weather in Serbia is getting thicker in October. At the Central Railway Station in Belgrade, the capital, a brand new high-speed train is parked next to the platform. The electronic screen shows that the terminal is the small border town of Subotica. This is the first passenger train since the Serbian section of the Hungary-Serbia railway was fully opened. Local people stepped into the carriage to experience a new journey and feel the "Chinese speed" of the train.

The Hungary-Serbia railway connecting Belgrade to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, has a total length of 341.7 kilometers, of which the Serbian section is 183.1 kilometers long and has a designed maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour. It is a flagship project of cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries. Most sections of the project are financed by the Export-Import Bank of China. China Railway International Co., Ltd. takes the lead and forms a Chinese joint venture with China Communications Construction Co., Ltd. to be responsible for the construction.

At 12 noon, the train officially departed. After a brief speed increase, the electronic display in the carriage prompted the train to start traveling at a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour. Many passengers took out their mobile phones and took photos with their friends in front of the electronic display. Passenger Dragan told reporters: "This railway connects Serbian cities in an efficient way. It is an important symbol of our country's modernization. The fact that Serbia has such a high-speed railway proves that the country is progressing and developing."

Another passenger, Alexander, told reporters: "The high-speed rail trains are completely different from the old trains. The carriages are very stable, and the coffee cup will not shake when placed on the small table. The speed is unbelievable, but the interior of the car is very quiet. I believe that high-speed rail trains will become the preferred mode of travel for more and more people in the future."

Not long ago, Serbian President Vucic personally experienced the trial train to Subotica. He said that the train from Belgrade to Subotica previously took nearly five hours, but this train will arrive in just over an hour. He said with emotion: "Without Chinese friends, we would not have been able to achieve such great achievements."

The Serbian section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway adopts a train control system independently developed by China Railway, and introduces China's domestically produced communication signals, power and electrification, rails, switches, bridge steel structures and other equipment to tailor-make high-speed EMUs for the Hungary-Serbia Railway. As the first Chinese high-speed railway to enter Europe, the Hungary-Serbia Railway has also become the first project for Chinese railway technical equipment to pass the European Union Railway Interoperability Technical Specification Certification.

In March 2022, the Belgrade to Novi Sad section (Beno section) of the Hungarian-Serbian railway in Serbia was put into operation, opening a new era of high-speed railways in the Balkans. After the opening of the Beno section, the running time between the two places has been reduced from more than 90 minutes to about 30 minutes. An average of 62 passenger trains have been operated every day. So far, more than 12.6 million passengers have been transported, which has been well received by the Serbian government and people. Alexander Adamovic, acting director of the General Administration of Railways of Serbia, said that the construction of the Hungary-Serbia railway was completed to high standards, which has brought convenience to the lives of residents along the line and will continue to change the face of national development.

At 13:22, the train arrived at Subotica station and passengers got off one after another. Looking into the distance from Subotica Station, the railway tracks continue to extend to the border between Serbia and Hungary. The Hungarian section of the Hungarian-Serbian Railway is under construction. Cepregey Nando, Hungary’s Deputy Minister of Construction and Transport, said that the Hungarian section of the Hungary-Serbia railway will be put into operation next spring. By then, the railway will fully realize its potential and bring more opportunities to the economic development of Hungary and Serbia and the region.