Budapest–Belgrade Railway: Passenger Trains Delayed Again Over Software
Hungary's transport minister says passenger service will not start with the 13 December timetable while the Chinese contractor fixes train-control software.
Passenger trains on the modernised Budapest–Belgrade railway will not start running with the new timetable on 13 December, Hungary's Minister of Transport and Investment Dávid Vitézy announced on Facebook late on Friday, 13 November. No new date has been set, Hungarian business daily Világgazdaság and Danas, citing RTS, reported.
Why passenger service on the Budapest–Belgrade line is delayed
According to Vitézy, several weeks of intensive testing found a number of smaller faults, mainly in the software of the train-control system installed by the Chinese contractor. The contractor is now correcting them, and every correction, however small, means the safety tests must be repeated. Passenger service will begin only after all tests are passed and the necessary permits are issued.
The tests involve Hungarian Railways (MÁV) and TÜV, an independent quality-assurance organisation. Vitézy said the decision to bring in TÜV was taken by his predecessor János Lázár and that he has kept it. He said he remained optimistic and had not heard of any problem that would prevent the start of service within a reasonable time.
Serbian plans for 13 December
The announcement upsets plans on the Serbian side. On 27 October the acting director of Srbijavoz, Ljubiša Pejičić, confirmed to Biznis.rs that service would start on 13 December, in line with the new timetable. He estimated a ticket to Budapest at about 35 euros, while prices were still being negotiated with Hungarian and Austrian railways. According to Világgazdaság, the Austrian and Serbian railways had announced the December start based on information from MÁV.
A project of repeated delays
The Hungarian section has carried freight since February, but no passenger trains have run on it since 2022, when reconstruction began. Világgazdaság puts its cost at 800 billion forints, 85% of it financed by Chinese loans. Vitézy, who took office with the new Hungarian government this year, has criticised the project's route, costs and business model, while saying the goal is to restore passenger service as soon as it is safe.
Sources
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