Serbia plans to build or modernize 1,219 kilometers of railway over the next decade, according to the national strategy “Serbia 2030” presented by President Aleksandar Vučić.
The plan is part of a comprehensive infrastructure development program until 2035 and includes both new lines and the modernization of existing routes.
Railway projects until 2030
According to the authorities in Belgrade, railway projects with a total length of approximately 289 kilometers are under construction or planned until 2030.
These include:
- Zemun Polje – Nikola Tesla Airport – National Stadium (18.3 km)
- Niš – Brestovac (23.4 km)
- Niš railway ring line (22.5 km)
- Sobovica – Lužnica – Batocina (16.2 km)
- modernization of the Niš – Dimitrovgrad line (86 km)
- sections of the Belgrade – Niš line, including Stalać – Đunis and Paraćin – Trupale
- modernization of the Šarganska osmica tourist line (20 km)
Modernization of existing lines
The strategy also includes the reconstruction or modernization of approximately 162 kilometers of railway, including:
- Rimski Šančevi – Futog
- Kragujevac – Kraljevo
- Knjaževac – Niš
- Majdanpek – Vražogrnac
- Doljevac – Žitorađa
- Sokolovica – Negotin
Plans for the period 2026–2035
In the next phase, the Serbian authorities intend to develop additional railway projects, including the modernization of some important routes: President Vučić described the Valjevo – Vrbnica – border with Montenegro line as one of the most difficult railway projects in Serbia due to the mountainous terrain.
- Pančevo – Zrenjanin – Subotica (200 km)
- Vrbas – Sombor (53 km)
- Valjevo – Vrbnica – border with Montenegro (209.8 km)
The strategy also includes other important railway projects: Several new lines are also planned, including:
- Ruma – Šabac – Loznica (110 km)
- Zaječar – Prahovo (74 km)
- Rimski Šančevi – Orlovat (65 km)
National Stadium – Obrenovac (18 km)
Beli Potok – Vinča – Pančevo (29.9 km), part of the Belgrade railway ring
Subotica – Baja (13 km)
Negotin – Bulgarian border (Vidin) (10 km)
Some of the projects included in the strategy could also be relevant for rail transport in the region.
One example is the Negotin – Bulgarian border (Vidin) line, approximately 10 kilometers long, which could improve rail connections in the area of the Calafat–Vidin bridge, one of the main crossing points over the Danube between Romania and Bulgaria.
The strategy also provides for the modernization of the Pančevo–Zrenjanin–Subotica line, approximately 200 kilometers long.
This route crosses northern Serbia and approaches the borders with Hungary and Romania, being important for freight transport in the Banat region and for connections between the railway networks in Central Europe and the Balkans.
In total, the projects planned until 2035 would amount to almost 930 km of railway, which, added to the 289 km planned for the period until 2030, would result in approximately 1,219 km of new or modernized railway infrastructure.
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