The Budapest–Belgrade railway line has entered the final phase of commissioning in Hungary, after testing of the signaling and control systems began on the entire Soroksár–Kelebia section. According to the authorities in Budapest, freight traffic is scheduled to start on February 27, with passenger services to be introduced later, in early March.
The announcement of the start of testing was made by the CEO of the MÁV group, Zsolt Hegyi, who said that the infrastructure on the Hungarian section is complete.
“The switches, buildings, platforms, and contact lines are already in operation, and we are currently conducting dark operation tests,” he said, explaining that the checks are being carried out with real rail vehicles, but without commercial traffic.
Testing phase before commissioning
Dark operation tests involve the full operation of signaling, control, and passenger information systems under conditions close to actual operation, but without passengers.
On the Budapest–Kelebia line, these are coordinated from the control center built in Kiskunhalas, part of the infrastructure of the new railway corridor.
From this center, operators control train traffic, manage signals and switches, monitor safety installations at level crossings, and monitor station activity through video systems.
According to MÁV management, the systems are highly automated, but operation remains dependent on qualified personnel who are permanently on hand for supervision and intervention.
Opening of freight traffic, followed by passengers
Hungarian Minister of Construction and Transport János Lázár has confirmed that freight traffic on the Hungarian section of the Budapest–Belgrade line will open on February 27.
According to him, the line will be used at full capacity for freight trains, with most of the available slots already contracted.
Passenger services are expected to start shortly after the launch of freight traffic, most likely between the end of February and mid-March.
The Hungarian and Serbian authorities have agreed on an initial number of three pairs of trains per day in each direction, with departures every two hours from Budapest.
On the Hungarian side, officials have also stated that efforts are being made to ensure that border control formalities do not exceed 30 minutes, which is essential for the attractiveness of international passenger services.
A modernized corridor with regional strategic importance
The Budapest-Belgrade line has a total length of approximately 350 km, of which 166 km are on Hungarian territory.
The Hungarian section has been modernized to double track and designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h, representing one of the most important railway projects in Hungary in recent decades.
The project was largely financed by a loan from China’s export-import bank and is considered a key element for freight flows between Central Europe and the Greek port of Piraeus, owned by the COSCO group.
The Serbian section of the line was inaugurated in the fall of 2025 after several delays.
Adaptations at Keleti station for the new trains
In parallel with the completion of the line, additional work is underway at Keleti station, one of Budapest’s main railway hubs.
Here, the platforms between lines 12 and 13 are being rebuilt to allow the operation of Chinese-built multiple electric trains, which the Serbian rail operator intends to use on the Budapest–Belgrade route.
The work involves the construction of high platforms that comply with European accessibility standards, which are necessary because the new trains are not equipped with folding steps.
The changes involve additional costs of approximately 300 million forints (around 770,000 EUR), with the Hungarian authorities explaining that the differences in technical specifications only became clear at an advanced stage of the project.
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