The Belgrade-Stara Pazova Section of the Belgrade-Budapest Railway in Serbia Financed by China Eximbank was put into operation on 19 March 2022. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as well as representatives of China and Serbia attended the launching ceremony and took the first train.  

The Belgrade-Budapest Railway, with a total length of 343 kilometers, runs 183 kilometers in Serbia. With a designed maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour, it shortens Budapest-Belgrade intercity travel time from 8 hours to less than 3 hours, thus significantly improving the local transportation, contributing to the formation of the China-Europe international trade corridor, and promoting the development of the local economy.  

This newly opened section of the Belgrade-Budapest Railway lies in Serbia. It starts from the Belgrade Station, stops at the Stara Pazova Station and terminates at the Novi Sad Station, with a total length of around 80 kilometers. It reduces the travel time between Belgrade and Novi Sad from 90 minutes to 30 minutes, which greatly increases passenger and freight transport capacity and sets a good example for the construction of the Railway’s remaining section in Serbia and its Hungary section.  

The Belgrade-Budapest Railway is a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative as well as cooperation between China and Central and Eastern Europe Countries (CEECs). It is of great significance to infrastructure development and connectivity in the region and China-CEEC cooperation. China Eximbank attaches great importance to the project and has provided strong financial support for its construction and implementation. The construction of the project’s remaining section in Serbia and the section in Hungary is now well underway.