Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) plans to introduce a new train service connecting Belgrade and Vienna via Budapest next year, in cooperation with Serbian Railways, N1 has learned.
The long-anticipated high-speed rail line between Belgrade and Budapest is expected to launch in the spring of 2026. According to current plans, two of the daily trains departing from Belgrade will continue beyond Budapest to Vienna. In the opposite direction, two trains from Vienna will travel to Belgrade each day.
A preliminary timetable for the 2025/26 season briefly appeared on the Serbian Railways Infrastructure (IŽS) website, showing six daily train connections between Belgrade and Budapest — three operated by Serbia’s national carrier Srbija Voz using new Chinese-made CRRC high-speed trains, and three by Hungary’s MÁV.
Railway enthusiasts quickly noticed that two of the MÁV trains scheduled to operate between Belgrade and Budapest share the same numbers as current trains running between Budapest and Vienna, suggesting an extension of the existing route.
While official confirmation from MÁV, Srbija Voz, and Serbia’s Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure has not yet been received, Austria’s Federal Railways (ÖBB) confirmed the plans to N1.
“Together with our partner MÁV, we plan to introduce trains 144 and 148 running between Belgrade, Budapest, and Vienna. In the opposite direction, trains 141 and 147 will operate between Vienna, Budapest, and Belgrade,” ÖBB stated.
ÖBB added that these trains currently operate only between Vienna and Budapest, and while the exact launch date of the extended route to Belgrade has not been set, it is expected to begin in 2026.
