"We'll have a railroad in exactly three years"; Vučić revealed the fast train stop

"We'll have a railroad in exactly three years"; Vučić revealed the fast train stop

The ceremony was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, as well as Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo, the Minister of Construction Tomislav Momirovic, President of the Assembly of Vojvodina Istvan Pastor, Prime Minister Igor Mirovic and the Mayor of Novi Sad Milos Vucevic.

The ceremony marking the launch of the works was held at the Novi Sad - Ranžirna Railway Station, and you could watch the broadcast on B92.net. "I know how important this is for the future of the whole of Serbia, in exactly three years we will have a railway built, and the Hungarians will finish their part in 2025, that's it, that's tomorrow. We always thought Vojvodina was more advanced than other parts of Serbia and in the 1990s and 2000s, they were left without economic power here in the north of Serbia. Everything that we did not have for three or four decades, today we are rushing to achieve and surpass many", said the President of Serbia.

He added that there will be nine stations there. "The fast train will stop at the stations in Novi Sad, Vrbas, Topola and Subotica," he announced.

Vučić said that such projects are changing the appearance of our country and represent a key change, as well as symbolizing the progress of Serbia.

During the presentation of the future high-speed railway to Hungary, which was introduced in detail by Chinese contractors in Novi Sad together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, he said that Serbia got a modern railway for the 21st century and would revive surrounding places.

"These projects are changing things and represent a key change, and they are proof that we have succeeded," Vucic emphasized. He says that a large and modern high-speed railway station will be built in Novi Sad, as well as that a total of 49 underpasses, overpasses and similar facilities will be built on the route from Novi Sad to the Hungarian border. The delegation then headed to the simulator, which, with the help of virtual reality, shows what driving a new train looks like from the driver's perspective. The president jokingly asked the operator to speed up the simulator, which was done, but only when the virtual train left the city area.

After that, the delegation visited a large model, which shows the Serbian and Hungarian part of the railway, as well as the border.

"We have no problem with these borders," Vucic said, to which the head of Hungarian diplomacy, Péter Szijjártó, told him that Serbs and Hungarians do not have any problems with each other. Also, the Chinese presented a model of a high-speed railway in the border part between Serbia and Hungary, and Vučić said that from the Serbian side, trains in that part will be able to run at a speed between 120 and 160 kilometers per hour.

A model of a Chinese high-speed train was also presented to the President. Answering the questions of the journalists about today's protest against the construction of the subway in Belgrade, Vučić said that no matter what they started to do, there were always people who were against it.

"It was the same for the Belgrade-Novi Sad railway, it was the same for Belgrade Waterfront - the demonstrations lasted for a year, and now it is the most beautiful part of the city," Vucic said.

He added that these are people who, he says, want to stop the development and progress of Serbia at any cost, because they have no policy and nothing to offer.

"I will go there (to Makiš) one of the next days, but the essence is that I ask my team where to go. Didn't we build the subway in 2012? They said that the first line would be between 2007 and 2012", said Vučić and added that the first line will now be completed in 2028, and the second in 2030. He added that the metro is not only in Belgrade, because that also contributes to the growth of the GDP of the entire country, and that, he says, is the essence - to develop economic performance and improve in all spheres.

"It's important that people understand that, and those who think they're going to nod and show anger... what was the point of standing in front of machines, stopping a worker, freezing, not being able to do his job, because you are lost and you don't know what you will do with yourself at 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning...", said Vučić. He said that they can gather every day, while honest people work, but that the result is the same, except that they made a crowd for an hour.

"Are you saying that it is not a good line because there are no good people in Mirijevo, Karaburma, Zvezdara, Cukarica, Bezanijska kosa, who should get a subway, but you would like something else? Why didn't you build anything? At least one highway", said Vučić. The President stated that it is easiest for everyone to find a flaw, because everyone can do it.

"But, instead of bothering someone while he is working, do something and show that you are capable. But, it is difficult for them. However, it it will not stop us in the fight for Serbia's progress, in doing the most important things, everything we missed in previous decades. We will rush into the future. And what we are doing, we can only look back on those who protest, paying little attention to that, and then continue right to the goal - a successful, prosperous and victorious Serbia," Vucic said.

About the railroad

The Novi Sad - Subotica railway is 108.2 kilometers long, and a total of 49 underpasses, overpasses and similar facilities will be built on that route.

A commercial contract on modernization and reconstruction of the railway connection between Serbia and Hungary on the territory of Serbia for the section Novi Sad-Subotica-state border near Kelebija, worth 943 million euros in 2018, was signed by the Serbian Railway Infrastructure and a consortium of Chinese companies China Railway International - CRI) - "China Communications Construction Company - CCCC".

This project will be financed from a loan given by the Chinese Exim (Export-Import) Bank.

The construction of the high-speed railway on this section includes the route of the two-track railway and the station with facilities on the railway, reconstruction and modernization of the railway junctions Novi Sad, Vrbas and Subotica, leveling of the railway crossing with road and pedestrian-bicycle paths safe operation of traffic at projected speeds and introduction of the European railway traffic management system.

The project plans the reconstruction of nine railway stations (Novi Sad, Sajlovo, Kisac, Stepanovicevo, Zmajevo, Backa Topola, Zednik, Naumovicevo and Subotica), as well as three new stations with station capacities (Rumenka, Vrbas and Lovcenac). A 1.6-kilometer-long viaduct will also be built in Vrbas. Minister Momirović handed over the decision on the construction permit for the Novi Sad-Subotica-Kelebija section to the Director General of the Chinese Railways in Serbia, Zhou Sin, on October 28, during the official visit of the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi to Serbia.

The section of the high-speed railway to Hungary from Belgrade to Novi Sad should be opened to traffic by March next year.

On that part of the railway, works are underway on the sections from Belgrade to Stara Pazova in the length of 34.5 kilometers, on which the Chinese companies CCCC and CRI are working, as well as on the route Stara Pazova - Novi Sad in the length of 40.4 kilometers, which is being built by Russian RZD International.