On December 3, 2025, Hungarian Minister of Construction and Transport Janos Lazar officially announced that the highly anticipated Hungarian section of the Hungary Serbia Railway will be opened on February 20, 2026. The determination of this critical node marks the countdown to the completion of the entire railway artery connecting Belgrade and Budapest. This modern double track electrified railway with a total length of about 350 kilometers is not only a landmark project of the the Belt and Road jointly built by China, Hungary and Serbia, but also a golden corridor of transportation and economy that will bring huge benefits to the country.

Flagship project that has lasted for many years

The concept of the Hungary Serbia railway began in 2013 and steadily progressed in the following years. Significant achievements have been made in the construction of the Serbian section, and some sections have been gradually put into operation. Especially on October 3, 2025, the Novi Sad to Subotica section in Serbia was completed and opened to traffic, marking the full operation of the Serbian section of the Hungary Serbia Railway. In contrast, the construction of the Hungarian section is more challenging as it requires strict compliance with various EU standards. The Chinese builders not only successfully addressed challenges such as technical specification integration and complex natural environments, but also deeply integrated green concepts into the project with a detailed environmental assessment report of over 1300 pages and practical actions to protect migratory birds during construction, winning local recognition. With the advancement of the Hungarian section of the four electricity project, the final piece of the puzzle for the full line connection is about to be in place.

The change brought by speed

The most direct change of the Hunsei Railway is speed. After the full line is opened, the travel time of trains from Belgrade to Budapest will be significantly reduced from the past 8 hours to less than 3 hours. This is not only a compression of commuting time, but also a strengthening of regional economic connections. It greatly facilitates personnel exchanges and logistics efficiency between Hungary and Serbia, as well as in Central and Eastern Europe, significantly enhancing Hungary's position as a transportation and logistics hub in Central and Eastern Europe. In the future, a large amount of goods from the Balkans and even arriving through the China Europe freight train can be quickly distributed to Western European countries through this efficient channel, bringing considerable logistics revenue to Hungary.

A model of win-win cooperation

The significance of the Hungary Serbia Railway goes far beyond a railway itself. It is a successful example of the comprehensive integration of Chinese railway technology and equipment with EU technical specifications. The core equipment used in the project, such as Chinese high-speed trains and signal systems, all comply with European standards. This railway is also deeply connected with Hungary's strategy of opening up to the east, becoming a microcosm of the upgrading of pragmatic cooperation between China and Hungary. The interconnection dividend brought by railways is generating synergies with platforms such as the China Europe Business and Logistics Cooperation Park, jointly building a three-dimensional transportation channel by sea, land, and air to help more enterprises explore the market.

At the same time, major infrastructure upgrades represented by railways have also received financial support from EU financial institutions. Recently, the European Investment Bank approved a loan of nearly 800 billion forints to support multiple projects in Hungary, including the modernization of approximately 1000 kilometers of railways. This indicates that high-quality international cooperation projects can effectively consolidate consensus from multiple parties, attract broader resources, and jointly promote regional development and prosperity. Keywords: international news, transportation news

The complete completion of the Hungary Serbia Railway will be like a modern steel caravan, galloping on the plain by the Danube River. It not only carries passengers and goods, but also embodies the spirit of cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries in consultation, co construction, and sharing, injecting new strong impetus into Europe's connectivity and economic development.Editor/Cheng Liting