In the streets and alleys of the old city center of Belgrade, trams continue to slowly travel along the century old track. On September 18, 2026 local time, the contract for Phase 1, Section 3 of Belgrade Metro Line 1 was officially signed, marking a critical turning point for the Serbian capital, which has been a city without a subway for decades.

Core section landing

The third section signed this time is the largest core section of the project mainline, and together with the previously signed first and second sections, it constitutes the complete civil engineering project of Phase 1 of Line 1. The total length of the line is 15.4 kilometers, with plans to build 15 new stations. After completion, it will become Belgrade's first underground rail transit line.

As a major infrastructure project in Serbia's national investment plan, this line is also a landmark cooperation project under the framework of China Serbia joint construction of the the Belt and Road. The large-diameter shield tunneling machine used in the project has been manufactured and tested in China before. In September 2026, all equipment was shipped in two batches from Chinese ports, with a total cargo volume of over 10000 cubic meters, and is being transported to construction sites in Serbia.

Reshaping the Urban Transportation Pattern

Belgrade is one of the few large cities in Europe that has not yet built a subway system. Ground transportation has long been plagued by congestion, with an average speed of less than 12 kilometers per hour during peak hours on core roads. After the completion of the subway, it will connect the core urban areas from southwest to northeast of the city and form a complete public transportation backbone network with the existing ground bus system.

The implementation of the project will directly fill the gap in urban underground rail transit, greatly alleviate commuting pressure in the central urban area, provide more efficient green travel options for citizens, and drive urban renewal and regional linkage development along the route. Keywords: subway transportation, infrastructure engineering

The residual heat of the signing ceremony has not dissipated yet, and the shield tunneling machine that crosses Europe and Asia is sailing towards the coast of the Balkan Peninsula. This underground line passing through the central urban area of Belgrade will create a brand new urban transportation coordinate for this century old city in the coming years.Editor/Cheng Liting