There is no turning back: The metro is entering the final stage of preparations, major changes await the city

The story of the Belgrade Metro has recently received a very concrete continuation: two TBM machines, so-called “moles,” have been completed in China and are currently being tested, with announcements indicating they will arrive in Belgrade at the end of September, while part of the equipment is set to be shipped to Serbia as early as June.

At the same time, preparatory works have begun on Bulevar despota Stefana, and citizens are already feeling traffic disruptions due to tunnel construction through the city center.

Several critical points identified

Belgrade city manager Miroslav Čučković, speaking on the show “Redakcija,” provided more details about the metro construction.

“Citizens will first experience difficulties due to construction, but later they will also feel the benefits. We need to build metro stations, and each station’s construction will put pressure on that part of the city. We have several critical points, but fortunately the number is not large. We have tried to place many stations outside main traffic arteries, such as the Fair, Ada Ciganlija, Mostar interchange, and so on. Republic Square and Bajloni Market near Skadarlija are two locations where we will mostly remain in construction regulation mode, without burdening existing streets or closing lanes,” Čučković explained on Kurir TV, adding:

“The corner of Blagoja Parovića and Požeška Street in Banovo Brdo is also one of the station locations and will be another burdened point. Another challenging location will be Vodovodska Street in Žarkovo, which will be fully closed this summer to allow works to begin. We have structurally divided responsibilities, and everyone has their task in organizing life in those areas. The municipal president will focus on opening access toward Trgovačka Street so that part of the city can function while works continue,” he said.

He added that residents in those areas will ultimately benefit from the infrastructure.

€999 million for 32 trains

“Three concrete contracts have been signed. PowerChina is building the civil tunnels and stations with domestic subcontractors. PowerChina is also delivering the TBMs to Belgrade—this contract has also been signed. The company Alstom is producing 32 trains; this is the Metropolis metro system, which currently operates in Sydney and is among the most modern metro systems in the world. We signed the contract for Saint Nicholas 2025,” he said.

He noted that Serbia will pay €999 million for 32 trains, which will be manufactured in France and delivered to Belgrade over the next two years.

“There is no turning back. Supervision of the entire project is carried out by Deutsche Bahn, with a €40 million contract signed. That is the German national railway company. So, the Chinese and French are building together, the French and Germans are supervising, and our role is to coordinate the work on the first line and handle property issues for the second line. All metro systems in the world must go through this most difficult phase—they must gain people’s trust that the first line will be completed, and then the next ones follow,” Čučković said.

He stated that the first, second, and third metro lines will eventually cover all densely populated areas of the city.

“Unfortunately, projections for population growth in Belgrade are not very optimistic; we will remain roughly at the same level in this century. However, the future of the metro lies in changing people’s habits. The family car will only be needed for leaving the city or traveling. After this construction, you will no longer need your car for getting around the city,” he concluded.