The upcoming renovation of the railway track between Budapest and Belgrade, which can currently only compete with bicycles, is equally important for both passenger and freight traffic, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó underlined on Pannon TV’s Közügyek ('Public Affairs") programme in Szabadka (Subotica) on Wednesday.

According to the State Secretary, the current state of the 374 km railroad is not suitable for advanced traffic – in the 21st century, the 7-8 hour travel time between the two capitals can at best compete with making the trip by bicycle.

Péter Szijjártó said that the new rails are expected to follow the old tracks, although there are also proposals to include the city of Szeged on the route. He added, however, that according to experts the shortest route should be chosen, as this line is not only important for passengers, but also for freight traffic. A professional decision must be reached on the issue of whether it would still be economical to include a major detour on the route.   
‘We are aware that more and more Chinese goods are arriving in Europe. Hungary lies on the transit route and we need to utilize our location. We also know that China transports its goods to Europe by sea, especially to Greek ports, like Pireus. (…) From there, goods could be transported to Western Europe through Hungary", the State Secretary said, adding that this is why it is important to choose the shortest route.

Last May, the CEO's of MÁV (Hungarian State Railways) and Serbian Railways signed an agreement on building a double-track, electrified line capable of supporting trains running at 160 km/h between the two capitals. China, Hungary and Serbia agreed on the upcoming renovations last November in Bucharest, at the Central and Eastern Europe-China summit.
While the railway line between the Hungarian and Serbian capital is already electrified, it consists only of a single track, which is in bad condition resulting in frequent delays. After the renovations, the running time would decrease from the current 7-8 hours to 3 and a half hours, State Secretary Szijjártó stressed, adding that the intention is for rail travel on this route to be competitive with cars, and even with flights.

(Prime Minister’s Office)