Liu Changqing, general manager of CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co and Goran Vesic, minister of Construction, Transportation and Infrastructure of Serbia, sign contract for the procurement of high-speed train sets on October 17, 2023. Photo: Courtesy of CRRC

CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co and Serbia's Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure inked a contract for the procurement of high-speed train needed for the Hungary-Serbia Railway, on Tuesday in the sideline of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, marking another breakthrough for China's high-end rail transportation system going overseas, the company told the Global Times.

The rolling stock deal also marks the first time for China's high-speed train system capable of running at speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour,  being exported to Europe, according to the company.

The high-speed train export contract includes 20 electric trains which use distributed power type with a maximum operating speed of 200 kilometers per hour which are expected to go into operation by 2025. 

Wang Chengtao, a representative from CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co said that the contracted high-speed train sets are tailor-made for operating on the Hungary-Serbia railway and follows Europe technical standards, while the trains are smarter, greener, more comfortable, and equipped with advanced features. 

The Hungary-Serbia Railway, linking Budapest and Belgrade, is a flagship project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative between China and Central and Eastern European countries. 

The railway covers a length of 341.7 kilometers, of which 183.1 kilometers are in Serbia and 158.6 kilometers are in Hungary. The travel time between the capitals of Hungary and Serbia will be shortened from previous 8 hours to 3 hours after the project goes into operation. 

Global Times