The Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, stated today that Serbia plans to invest six billion euros in railway projects, which, as she estimated, will lead to the complete modernization of railway traffic in the country and connections with the countries of the region and the European Union.
“Railway traffic is the most important mode of transport besides water, and we have invested more than 600 million euros since 2014, when we started investing in railways,” Brnabic said at a press conference after visiting the “Connecting Europe Express” train in Belgrade Center railway station.
Brnabic stated that Serbia will invest six billion euros in projects for which it is now developing project documentation, or with the help of the EU, it is working on studies of justification and impact on the environment.
“The most important projects are the high-speed railway Belgrade-Budapest, in which two billion euros are invested, and the railway Corridor 10, in which, with the support of the EU, the European Development Bank and the investment fund for the Western Balkans, two billion will be invested,” Brnabic pointed out.
The Director for the Mobility and Transport Sector of the European Commission, Maja Bakran Marcic, stated that the European Union, through an action plan, has allocated 30 billion euros for investments in sustainable transport and railway infrastructure in the Western Balkans.
“This plan will support the most important railway line for Serbia, railway Corridor 10. We will improve the lines from Belgrade to Skopje, from Belgrade to Zagreb, and we are already involved in the joint modernization of railways between Serbia and Bulgaria,” Bakran Marcic said.
Bakran Marcic emphasized that the implementation of this plan requires a common regional market in the Balkans, so that goods and people would not stop every 100 kilometers at the borders, and that reforms in the field of rule of law and fight against corruption are necessary.
“Serbia has made progress on its reform path and is investing in its railway infrastructure, and those efforts should be continued and accelerated,” she pointed out.
The Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Tomislav Momirovic, stated that the policy of Serbia is the “Open Balkans” initiative and borders without barriers, “so that the economy and people go smoothly and freely”.
“Railways are imposing themselves as the transport system of the future. Only railways can provide mobility, climate neutrality, energy efficiency and safety, and that is why we must make our railway companies much more efficient,” he pointed out.
The international train “Connecting Europe Express” arrived this morning at the Belgrade Center railway station, and at the same time with its arrival, the Railway Summit “Western Balkans Rail Summit 2021” will be held in Belgrade today, Beta reports.
