"The infrastructure is fully complete, including tracks, switches, platforms and overhead lines," Hegyi said.

Freight trains started operating on the upgraded line, which is set to become part of a corridor for bringing Chinese goods to Europe, on Friday.

Hegyi said one more task still lays ahead: finalising the train control system for the line. Software testing is underway, he added, noting that finishing that is a condition for starting passenger train service at speeds up to 160km/h.

Trains can currently travel on the line at speeds up to 100km/h, he said.

Earlier: 

Ticket Prices Unveiled for New Belgrade - Budapest Railway Journey

Serbia's transport minister has confirmed passenger trains on the new Belgrade-Budapest rail line will launch by late March, offering a direct three-hour trip between the capitals for around €32.

Serbia’s Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Aleksandra Sofronijević, announced that passenger services on the Belgrade–Budapest railway will start at the end of March, following freight operations from late February.

Timetables and ticket prices are now available here.

In an RTS interview, Sofronijević said a recent Budapest meeting resolved Serbia's pre-handover tasks. "We've agreed on everything, and Serbia will meet all commitments," she noted. Next steps include linking Serbian and Hungarian systems, training drivers and staff, and finalizing border connections.

She expects the full Budapest-Belgrade route to open in March, with travel time at three hours and 15 minutes for €32 (in dinars).

From the Hungarian side, MÁV CEO Zsolt Hegyi briefed local mayors in Kiskunhalas on Budapest–Kelebia services. MÁV is securing permits, testing safety systems, training staff, finalizing timetables, activating stations and CCTV, syncing with Volánbusz schedules, and installing road crossing barriers.

Key details from the presentation:

* Freight traffic begins February 27 at midnight (max 100 km/h), building experience for passengers.
* Passenger services start March 15, all from Budapest-Keleti station. 
* International, express, and passenger trains every two hours; suburban trains hourly.
* Local trains will stop at all stations.
* Express: Kiskunhalas, Soltvadkert, Kiskőrös, Szabadszállás, Kunszentmiklós (then all stops to Budapest for suburban links).
* International: Only Kiskunhalas and the Hungarian border.

This upgraded line will make cross-border travel faster and more convenient for expats moving between Hungary and Serbia.

Tests completed on Hungarian stretch of upgraded Budapest-Belgrade rail line

Dynamic tests conducted by a special measurement train on the Hungarian stretch of the upgraded Budapest-Belgrade rail line have been successfully completed, the Construction and Transportation Ministry said on Thursday.

The tests were conducted on February 10-18, the ministry said.

The speed of trains on the stretch will reach 160km/h when the upgrade is completed.
 

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