The modernisation of the Hungarian section of the 350 km railway line between Budapest and Belgrade in Serbia is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. Hungary is responsible for the double-track expansion on the 150 km section between Budapest, Kunzentmiklos, Tas and Kelebija, while Serbia is modernising the Belgrade – Stara Pazova and Novi Sad – Subotica sections. Construction work on the Hungarian side began in October 2021, with five new station buildings being constructed and eight others modernised. Technical handover is scheduled for autumn 2025, with passenger rail transport set to begin in winter. The project costs for Hungary amount to around EUR 2 billion (HUF 800 billion) and are mainly financed by Chinese loans. The Serbian section between Belgrade and Novi Sad has been in operation since March 2022, with the Novi Sad – Kelebija section scheduled to follow in September 2025. China Railway Signal & Communication (CRSC) is installing the European Train Control System (ETCS) on the line.
