Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic inaugurates the Novi Sad-Subotica section of the Hungary-Serbia high-speed railway on October 3, 2025. Photo: from Wechat account of Chinese Embassy in Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is pictured as he rides the train on the Hungary-Serbia high-speed railway from Belgrade to Subotica, Serbia, on October 3, 2025. Photos: from Wechat account of Chinese Embassy in Serbia

The Novi Sad-Subotica section of the Hungary-Serbia high-speed railway was officially open on Friday, marking the full completion and operation of the Serbian section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other officials took the inaugural train from Belgrade Central Station to Subotica and Chinese Ambassador Li Ming and relevant personnel from China Railway and China Communications Construction accompanied them throughout the journey, according to a release from the Chinese Embassy in Serbia. 

President Vucic said that the Hungary-Serbia Railway project is a tremendous success for Serbia. The inaugural train reached a speed of 200 km/h, completing the journey from Belgrade to Subotica in just 68 minutes, significantly reducing travel time, promoting economic integration along the route, and injecting strong momentum into Serbia's regional balanced development and national economic prosperity. It notably enhances Serbia's role as a transportation hub connecting the Balkan region with the heart of Europe, according to a release from the embassy.

He expressed gratitude for the support of Chinese leaders and friends, praised Chinese companies for their outstanding work, and affirmed that the two countries will continue to engage in broader cooperation in the future, according to the release.

In a post on Facebook, Vucic said that "This railway line will bring a lot for economic development. I'm proud of what we built. Grateful to the Chinese friends who completed this professionally and to the citizens of Serbia for their great trust."

Vucic hailed the railway as a generational achievement that "will forever be written into the history books." "From Subotica, you will now reach Belgrade in one hour and 10 minutes, and by next year, from here to Budapest in just one hour and 35 minutes. This is something our ancestors could not have imagined, and it is something our generation will leave behind as a lasting legacy," he said, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Ambassador Li said that the Hungary-Serbia Railway is the first high-speed railway built by Chinese companies in Europe, a flagship project of cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, and a major initiative aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with Europe's development strategy. 

The full operation of the Serbian section represents the latest achievement in building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, a new milestone in the ironclad friendship between the two countries, and opens broad prospects for Serbia's national construction and development prosperity, said Li, according to the Embassy release. 

The Hungary-Serbia Railway connects Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and Budapest, the capital of Hungary. It spans 341.7 kilometers, with 183 kilometers within Serbia, and has a design speed of 200 km/h. The project was constructed by a consortium of China Railway International and China Communications Construction Company, according to the release.


Global Times