Hungary’s CER Cargo Group, one of the leading freight rail operators in Central and Eastern Europe, has signed an agreement in Belgrade to acquire a railway company in Serbia. This follows the company’s late-December 2025 acquisition of Austrian local rail operator Wiener Lokalbahnen Cargo, as reported by Hungarian media. The name of the Serbian company being acquired has not yet been disclosed.
CER Cargo Group’s expansion into Serbia represents the latest step in its regional growth strategy. The company already operates a significant freight rail business across multiple countries and is now increasing its presence in the Western Balkans. By integrating a Serbian rail operator into its network, CER Cargo Group aims to strengthen cross-border freight connections, improve logistics efficiency and capture a larger share of cargo traffic moving between Serbia, Hungary and wider European markets.
The move reflects broader foreign investor interest in Serbia’s strategic transport infrastructure as the country continues to modernise its rail network and improve capacity. Rail freight plays an important role in Serbia’s logistics and export sector, particularly for heavy goods, industrial shipments and international transit flows. Hungarian investment in the sector signals confidence in the region’s long-term transport demand and in future integration with European freight corridors.
The transaction underscores a trend in which regional rail freight players are consolidating and expanding their footprint across national borders, positioning themselves to benefit from increased trade flows and infrastructure upgrades in Southeast Europe.
