EU freezes Serbia-Hungary railway project over safety concerns

The European Union has stopped an ambitious infrastructure plan championed by the Serbian President and the Hungarian Prime Minister. According to Polish RMF FM, referencing reports from Hungarian media, the project in question is the construction of a high-speed railway connecting Belgrade and Budapest.

This initiative had promised to drastically reduce the travel time between the capitals of Serbia and Hungary to just 2.5 hours, as reported by N1 television. However, these ambitious plans now seem to be on pause. While construction has commenced on the Serbian portion, progress has stalled in Hungary.

Hungarian media reveals that the stumbling block lies with the Chinese contractors' failure to meet European construction norms. Reports emerging last autumn highlighted concerns over the contractors’ inability to install a safety and control system for the railway in line with European standards.

Further complicating matters, N1 TV highlighted instances where German companies showed interest in participating in the project but were ultimately rebuffed by the Chinese. Gabor Bodis, a Hungarian journalist, shared insights suggesting a growing belief within Hungarian business circles that the Chinese might gradually pull out of the project altogether.