Novi Sad-Subotica Section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway Completes Track Laying

　　A spokesperson of China Railway International Group Co., Ltd. introduced that the Novi Sad-Subotica Section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway starts from the Novi Sad Railway Station in Serbia, passes through the Vrbas Railway Station, Baska Topola Railway Station, Subotica Railway Station, and finally reaches the Serbia-Hungary border. The total length of the line is 108.1 kilometers. The EPC engineering general contract is implemented by a Chinese consortium led by China Railway International Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CR, and the track laying commenced on April 6, 2023. Enterprises and constructors from China and Serbia have cooperated closely to overcome difficulties such as complex construction environments and tight schedules. They have fully utilized advanced Chinese track laying equipment and welding technology, using a total of 176.2 kilometers of rails produced by Chinese enterprises. They have optimized on-site construction organization, strengthened safety and quality control, and emphasized ecological environmental protection, ensuring orderly and efficient progress of track laying tasks. Currently, the construction of the Novi Sad-Subotica Section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway is progressing smoothly, with over 80% of the project completed. Among them, the section from Novi Sad to Vrbas is basically completed, with the overhead wire successfully energized, the track finely adjusted, and the line passing the dynamic test conducted by a third-party European testing agency, achieving the target of testing trains running at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour on schedule. With all performance indicators being good, a solid foundation has been laid for ensuring the full line opening and operation of the Hungary-Serbia Railway in Serbia within the year.

　　The spokesperson introduced that the Hungary-Serbia Railway connects the capital of Serbia, Belgrade, and the capital of Hungary, Budapest, serving as the flagship project of China's joint construction of the "Belt and Road" Initiative (BRI) with Central and Eastern European countries. It is also the first project for the docking of China's railway technology and equipment with the technical specifications for railway interoperability in the European Union. The total length of the line is 341.7 kilometers, of which 183.1 kilometers are within Serbia, with a designed speed of 200 kilometers per hour. The section from Belgrade to Novi Sad was opened for operation on March 19, 2022, and has transported over 7 million passengers over the past two years, providing high-quality transportation services for the people of Serbia. After the full completion and operation of the Hungary-Serbia Railway in Serbia, the travel time from the capital of Serbia, Belgrade, to the border city of Subotica will be greatly reduced, greatly improving Serbia's infrastructure and local traffic conditions, facilitating travel for people along the route, optimizing the investment environment, promoting economic and social development, and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between Central and Eastern Europe countries, and creating an international major trade corridor between China and Europe, which is of great significance.