– “Serbian Railways” have, for the first time after three decades, bought the new train. And for the first time after three years, as of tomorrow, a passenger train will regularly operate between Belgrade and Vršac – with those words, Milovan Marković, Director General of “Serbian Railways” addressed the guests and representatives of the media on March 6th, in railway station Beograd Dunav, on the promotion of the new DMU, on the occasion of it’s involvement in the regular railway traffic.

-The new DMU which is being promoted today by “Serbian Railways” is the first of total twelve contracted new sets, which will arrive on our lines consecutively by the end of 2012. Those are twelve DMU series 711, which purchase was agreed with the Russian company “Metrovagonmaš”. The value of these twelve sets is approximately 43 million Swiss franks, and the funds were secured from the international railway bank “EUROFIMA” – emphasized Marković.
According to him, the mounting of the two new DMUs in Moscow for Serbian railways is almost finished. These sets should be finished by the end of March and start their journey to Serbia, in order for them to be included in the regular passenger railway operations on our lines. The Contract stipulates that the Russian manufacturer should deliver all twelve new sets to Serbian Railways by the end of 2012.
-The first, new Russian DMU will operate daily, as of Wednesday, March 7th 2012, between the stations Beograd Dunav and Vršac. Thus, after three years regular passenger railway operations between the capital and the town of Vršac will be reestablished. On these distances, four pairs of trains daily will operate Monday to Saturday, while on Sunday there will be only one pair of trains, – said Marković.

For a single journey on a section Beograd Dunav – Vršac or vice versa, the price of the ticket purchased on box office is RSD 320, while return journey ticket is RSD 512. With the train identification SRB PLUS, one can travel with the 30% discount. Given that the part of the track section on which the train operates between stations Beograd Dunav and Vršac coincides with the trains from the system “BG Voz” and “Beovoz”, there will be different prices for passengers. From station Beograd Dunav to station Pančevo Varoš, as well as for the return journey, the “Beovoz” tickets will be valid. In all trains which operate on the section Ovča-Beograd Dunav-Ovča, the passengers can use tickets for the “Bus Plus” system.
This DMU is intended for the passengers’ transportation in local and regional traffic on non-electrified lines. It is a two-set train and it has 120 seats and 126 standing places. The train is equipped with the latest equipment and main components were made by the most prominent European manufacturers according to all national and international standards. The train can run at the speed of 120 km/h.
The new DMUs on non-electrified lines will successively replace the passenger trains, which are more that 30 years old and still in operation. However, because of the age, these trains often have defects, and their maintenance is very expensive, difficult and unprofitable, making them almost impossible to maintain regularity in passenger traffic on diesel-hauled sections. Also, new DMU will replace in operation trains with diesel locomotives, which is in operational and economic terms more rational, efficient and cheaper.
-It is suggested, on the initiative of “Serbian Railways”, that from the Russian loan which has a total value of 800 million dollars and it’s realization is still under negotiations, 100 million dollars should be allocated for the purchase of 25 such trains for local and regional traffic. According to the expert analyses, Serbia needs about forty of these trains, so by purchasing additional sets from the Russian loan, local and regional traffic on non-electrified lines in Serbia could function much more efficiently and effectively on long terms, – concluded “Serbian Railways” Director General Milovan Marković.
The guests were welcomed also by Suhrat Mahmudov, commercial director of “Transmašholdinga”, which has the Russian company “Metrovagonmaš”, the manufacturer of the new diesel-motor unit, series 711.
Afterwards, the guests and representatives of the media went on a promotional drive with new diesel-motor unit from the station Beograd Dunav to the station Pančevo Glavna and back, so they could make sure of the outstanding quality, appearance and comfort of the new set, which shall be included, as of March 7th, in the regular railway passenger operations on the section Beograd Dunav – Pančevo Glavna-Vršac-Beograd Dunav.