As a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Central and Eastern European countries, the Belgrade-Novi Sad section of the Hungarian-Serbian Railway has been put into operation and integrated into the daily life of local people.
Fast, comfortable, and "go-and-go" ...... At the beginning of May, when the reporter took his backpack and embarked on a journey on the Hungarian-Serbian railway, he also felt full of Chinese friendship.
In 36 minutes, life in the Twin Cities runs smoothly
There are athletes pushing mountain bikes; There is a family traveling together; There are young couples snuggling sweetly...... At Belgrade Central Railway Station, wrapped in a comfortable European atmosphere, following the direction of the crowd, the reporter came to the waiting platform.
From Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to Novi Sad, the country's second largest city, this journey has already "circled" many locals.
"We're regular visitors to this stretch of road." Martina and her husband, who live in Novi Sad, work in Belgrade and commute almost every day, sitting by the window by the door. The 36-minute journey is comfortable and convenient, and it also makes their Twin Cities life run smoothly.
On March 19, 2022, the Belgrade-Novi Sad section (Benoy section) of the Hungarian-Serbian Railway in Serbia was officially put into operation. The original travel time of more than 90 minutes was shortened to more than 30 minutes, opening the era of high-speed rail for local people.
The old Hungarian railway has a history of 100 years, and due to disrepair and aging equipment, the locomotives on the line run at an average speed of only about 40 kilometers per hour. After the upgrade, the Benoy section can reach a maximum operating speed of 200 km/h. Buy tickets from the mobile app, and the round-trip ticket price is 962 dinars (Serbian currency), which is about 64 yuan.
At 10 o'clock in the morning on the day the reporter boarded the train, the carriage was already full. "It is precisely because of the high-speed train that we travel so frequently" and "the ticket price is not expensive", on the train, several passengers chatted with the reporter of this newspaper from China, and from time to time imagined the situation of the Hungarian-Serbian railway running through the entire line. At that time, the rail travel time between Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and Budapest, the capital of Hungary, will be reduced from 8 hours to less than 3 hours.
For more than two years, between two cities in Serbia, people have enjoyed the convenience of high-speed rail. At present, the Benoy section of the Hungarian Railway runs an average of 62 passenger trains per day, sending more than 7 million passengers in total. As one local passenger put it: "This is an important gift from China to Serbia." ”
During the 36-minute journey, the local tourists smiled at their Chinese friends, making the ride particularly pleasant.
China's railways are in harmony with the European landscape
"Our cofferdam construction, swans are coming to applaud!"
When I first heard this, I thought it was a joke. Until seeing is believing - in the photo, on one side is the construction of construction vehicles, on the other side is the clear blue waves, swans pass leisurely, and the reflection of water and sky is connected into a line.
Arriving at Novi Sad Station, the reporter met Duan Wei, deputy chief engineer of the Serbian section of the Hungarian-Serbian Railway of China Railway International Corporation. Speaking of the unforgettable moment, he mentioned this image that made the workers feel moved. From the leisurely swan to the repair of the station facilities, the seemingly ordinary scenery is condensed with the ingenuity and strength of the Chinese construction team.
According to reports, at the beginning of the Hungarian-Serbian railway project, the construction team spent 10 months to compile more than 1,300 pages of detailed environmental assessment reports. For example, in the construction process of piers and bearing caps of cross-river railway bridges, very strict plans are adopted to ensure that the river is not polluted and the river flow is unobstructed; Another example is that when passing through relatively dense residential areas along the line, the design of the source is optimized, and the sound barrier and other methods are used to avoid disturbing people's lives.
As the first order of China's high-speed railway to Europe, every detail of the construction of the Hungarian-Serbian railway is crucial. "In fact, for us, it is not a technical problem, but the difficulty is communication and coordination and standard docking." Duan Wei, who participated in the construction of the project, said.
The Hungarian-Serbian railway project needs to be fully upgraded at the level of the old infrastructure, including the transformation of some lines from single to double lines, the upgrade of the train control system, etc., and all online and offline equipment and facilities must meet the technical specifications for the interconnection of EU railways. The renovation while operating also increases the difficulty of construction.
"It's like renovating a house, not completely tearing down and rebuilding, but changing it while using it while ensuring normal use." Li Wei, deputy director of the engineering department of the Serbian section of the Hungarian-Serbian railway, said that there are many factors to be considered in this process, and all parties must do their best to meet the demands of all parties, from the operator to the residents along the line. Fine polishing, so that China's railway technical equipment and solutions have been "passed" to the European market again and again. "Benoy's successful operation over the past two years is a testament to this." Li Wei said.
The Friendship Road brings more people together
Further from Novi Sad station, more upgraded bridges, road sections and stations are still under construction. At the construction site of a bridge, the reporter met the Serbian girl Milo Saljevic.
Milosarjevic, a 32-year-old engineer on the Hungarian-Serbian railway project, previously worked for the Serbian Railways and became part of the project three years ago with career development in mind. "It's a big project in Serbia and I'm especially honored to be a part of it and be a part of making it happen." She said.
As a child, Milosaljevic used to take the train to his grandmother's house for holidays, and the memories associated with the railway are always wonderful. This made her first contact with railway engineering in college, and she knew that she belonged to this career. The birth of the Hungarian-Serbian railway project has opened her eyes to new platforms and opportunities.
"China has advanced and mature high-speed rail technology, and the engineers are experienced, while the Cypriot engineers are familiar with policies, regulations and history. Together, we are a real team. Milo Saljevic said.
On May 3, the track-laying project of the Serbian section of the Hungarian-Serbian Railway from Novi Sad to Subotica to Serbia-Hungary was successfully completed, marking the double-track completion of the Serbian section of the Hungarian-Serbian Railway. The rapid progress of the project relies on the full cooperation between China and Cyprus. According to reports, during the construction of the project, a total of 55 local service providers were signed, with a local procurement contract amount of nearly 600 million US dollars, and thousands of jobs were directly and indirectly created.
Cheng Zheng, a Chinese engineer, is Milosaljevic's superior, master, and good friend. "She's young, tech-savvy, communicative and loves to learn. When this project is completed, we also want to cultivate her for a long time, so that the individual and the company can grow together. Cheng Zheng said that in the project, many Serbian engineers and technicians have achieved technical improvement through mutual assistance and exchanges, and jointly helped the project move forward.
"Without people-to-people friendship, it would not have been possible for China and Cyprus to go so far." Milosarjevic said that friendship is getting along every day, sharing every moment, and being daily. The Hungarian-Serbian railway has connected more people together.
When the reporter was interviewed, it coincided with the local Easter, and Milosaljevic brought colorful eggs to everyone, and she and Cheng Zheng touched each other with the eggs and laughed. This is another heart-warming moment on the Hungarian-Serbian railway.
Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition K25