Works on 2nd track of Belgrade-Pancevo railway begin

BELGRADE - A laying of new tracks at the railway station in Belgrade's neighborhood of Krnjaca Monday marked the beginning of the reconstruction and modernization of a 15-kilometer railway from Belgrade to Pancevo in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina.

The beginning of the works, which feature a special Russian technology and are being funded by a Russian loan for overhaul of the Serbian railways, was attended by Russian Railways Director Vladimir Yakunin and Serbian Minister of Transport, Construction and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic.

The beginning of construction works on the second track at the Krnjaca station was also attended by Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin.

Yakunin said that the Russian technology was special in that it made it possible to lay as many as 800 meters of track in one hour, pointing out that the modernization of the Belgrade-Pancevo railway would enable trains to move at speeds of 120 kilometers per hour.

Yakunin said that the floods which had hit Serbia in May had slowed the implementation of projects to overhaul Serbia's railways, but stressed that all works would be completed in time.

He stressed that the implementation of those projects would help the Serbian Railways to connect to the trans-European rail network and that Russia would in that way promote their technology for the construction of railways in Europe.

Minister Mihajlovic said that the Belgrade-Pancevo railway was expected to be completed in November 2016 but would actually be completed three months ahead of schedule.

She also said that works on three more railway sections, totaling 63 kilometers and also financed from the Russian loan, would begin in February and last for...