With modernization of railway Corridor 10 through Serbia conditions will be made for freight trains to operate on our railway lines on the north-south route much faster, more safely and to transport more freight. This year we will start with the reconstruction of 100km of railway line on Corridor 10 for the average speed of 120km/h and in the next five years we will be working on its modernization. Corridor 10 is our absolute priority. In this regard, Serbian railways will give their best to make it possible for freight trains to operate between Northern and Southern Europe faster and effective.
This will also create conditions for introducing of new combined train in traffic on the route Hungarian Sopron – Istanbul- said “Serbian Railways” Director General Dragoljub Simonović today in Belgrade in the meeting with the greatest forwarders in this part of Europe.
Management of Serbian railways, headed by Director General Dragoljub Simonović, had a meeting today with representatives of the greatest forwarder companies, which organize transport in this part of Europe and operate on our lines. Meeting was attended by representatives of Kuene+Nagel company (based in Greece), “DB Schenker” and “Express Interfracht” (based in Vienna).
They announced introduction of new combined train between Northern and Southern Europe oAn Hungarian Sopron – Istanbul route. During the meeting improvement of speed and transport quality were discussed, as well as providing of necessary rolling stock for the entire route. Common interest and goal of Serbian railways and forwarders is to have full sets on both directions and to support new common railway projects with stabile business conditions and prices. The most important goal is to achieve more successful and competitive railway transport compared to inland waterway transport on this route. Over four thousand freight train pairs used to operate on Serbian railways per annum and today that number is little more than two thousand. That` s why a great mutual interest for significant increase of freight train sets number was expressed.
Forwarders were especially pleased with the fact that in the following period we will have significant investment in Corridor 10. Serbian railways will also procure new multi-system locomotives and the tender for them was recently announced, which will enable more efficient freight transport.
– As soon as today we will begin with analyzing of speeds of these freight trains through Serbia and also whether there were problems in procuring of necessary wagons, but also we need to review all other open issues. Our goal is to improve traffic efficiency wherever it is possible without investments,- said “Serbian Railways” Director General Dragoljub Simonović.
Expert teams of Serbian railways and forwarder companies analyzed after that many technical and other issues in order to improve mutual cooperation in the following period.
