The high-speed Budapest-Belgrade railway is now complete. Built at the cost of $2.9 billion, the railway is a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the Balkans. It represents a real victory for the BRI in Eastern Europe. Built in cooperation with China Railway International and China Communication Construction Company, the line allows speeds of up to 220 kph, or 125 mph, cutting travel time from eight hours, due to the dilapidated condition of the old line, to just over two hours. The project was begun in 2017. The first half of the Serbian section has been in full operation since its completion in 2022, and the second half opened for passengers in October 2025.
The Hungarian sections will open for freight at 100% capacity on Feb. 27, 2026, according to the Hungarian Minister of Construction and Transport János Lázár. Final tests are being carried out. Passenger services are to commence on March 15, two weeks after freight traffic.
While the Hungarian section of the line was much shorter than that in Serbia, construction was held up until 202, because the European Commission claimed that the tender process was non-compliant with EU public procurement law, which meant it would not qualify for European Union financing. While 85% of the financing of the project was to be provided by China’s Exim Bank, the EU could withhold other funding if Hungary did not comply. Whereas this issue was eventually overcome, it delayed the start of the project until 2021. The anti-China nature of the European Commission action did not go unnoticed.
