LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
I haven't seen it in a recognised railway journal, but the "Daily Wrap" is reporting that this upgrade project is in trouble on the Hungarian section.
This seems to be because the Chinese contractors will not commit to EU construction norms.
The upgrade in Serbia, largely delivered by a mix of Russian and Chinese contractors, and partially completed, does not seem to be affected.
Through trains were being diverted between Budapest and Subotica via Szeged to allow the upgrade in Hungary to take place.
Sounds like yet another bone of contention between Viktor Orban and Brussels.
The technical debate might be about whether ETCS is part of the railway spec or not.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...S&cvid=0459f5e3192445b48a86ec85a616127c&ei=72
This seems to be because the Chinese contractors will not commit to EU construction norms.
The upgrade in Serbia, largely delivered by a mix of Russian and Chinese contractors, and partially completed, does not seem to be affected.
Through trains were being diverted between Budapest and Subotica via Szeged to allow the upgrade in Hungary to take place.
Sounds like yet another bone of contention between Viktor Orban and Brussels.
The technical debate might be about whether ETCS is part of the railway spec or not.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...S&cvid=0459f5e3192445b48a86ec85a616127c&ei=72
The European Union has stopped an ambitious infrastructure plan championed by the Serbian President and the Hungarian Prime Minister. According to Polish RMF FM, referencing reports from Hungarian media, the project in question is the construction of a high-speed railway connecting Belgrade and Budapest.
This initiative had promised to drastically reduce the travel time between the capitals of Serbia and Hungary to just 2.5 hours, as reported by N1 television. However, these ambitious plans now seem to be on pause. While construction has commenced on the Serbian portion, progress has stalled in Hungary.
Hungarian media reveals that the stumbling block lies with the Chinese contractors' failure to meet European construction norms. Reports emerging last autumn highlighted concerns over the contractors’ inability to install a safety and control system for the railway in line with European standards.