Budapest to Belgrade Railway

Objective

To establish a high-capacity freight corridor through the Balkans, accelerating the flow of international maritime cargo from southern European ports straight into the heart of Central and Western Europe. Serves as the northern extension of the maritime-rail route connecting the Chinese-owned Port of Piraeus in Greece to Central Europe, aligning with the Orient/East-Med Corridor geography.

Description

A major 350-kilometer rail modernization program upgrading existing tracks to high-speed double-tracks, complete with advanced electrification, modern stations, and updated signaling systems. Notably built with Chinese funding

History

Formally agreed upon in 2014 during a bilateral summit between China, Hungary, and Serbia, the project encountered immediate pre-construction challenges. In 2016, the European Commission launched an investigation into the Hungarian segment for potential violations of EU public procurement and transparency laws, forcing Hungary to restructure its tendering process before construction could begin in 2020.

Finance