NEWS FLASH
Construction of a new suburban rail line, which will link Belgrade Airport both to the city and the EXPO 2027 site will begin in mid-2024. According to Serbia’s Minister for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Goran Vesić, the project documentation should be finalised by the end of the year, while technical documentation for the project will be completed by mid-2024 after which construction will begin. It will take eighteen months to complete the new line. The new rail track will begin at Zemun Polje station and continue to new stations Singidunum - Belgrade Airport - Surčin - National Stadium. Trains on the new rail line, which includes the airport, will run every half an hour, and up to every fifteen minutes during peak commute times. Trains on the new track will reach speeds of 120 kilometres per hour. The new rail line will run with the following stops: Prokop (Central) - New Belgrade - Tošin bunar - Zemun - Altina - Zemun polje - Singidunum - Belgrade Airport - Surčin - National Stadium.
So from BEG you go to Zemun Polje and then you have to transfer?
ReplyDeleteSorry if you want to go to Prokop for example.
DeleteIt wouldnt make much sense that the line starts only in Zemun Polje. I believe they will introduce Prokop- National Stadium line which stops in New Belgrade, Zemun, Zemun Polje etc.
DeleteAnother problem are the trains. The cummuter RVR trains used today are very old and not suitable for people with disabilities or with lot of lugage. They should urgently get new ones and extend all lines that curently terminate in Ovca to Pancevo.
Delete^ No, it won't because it will be different trains that can go faster on newer tracks. A new station will be built in Obrenovac which will also include these new tracks. It will go to Prokop and will pass the Belgrade Airport station but that won't be completed by the end of the decade.
Delete@10.35
DeleteYes, it will require a transfer.
A tracks start at Zemun Polje towards National stadium, this is what will have to be built. It doesn't say that train will go from ZP as terminus as that has no sense, but fro BG Center station.
Delete^ No, Vesic has confirmed that this train does not start in Prokop (he said that a future line from Obrenovac to Prokop passing through the airport will directly link it to Prokop) and it is not possible to use the Bg Voz railway track on this line because the new trains that will be used on this new line can not use the old tracks (and station infrastructure).
DeleteAnd then surprise on Prokop. Passengers have to catch the bus nr 36 to reach the center. Proposed metro lines will completely bypass the main railway station, which makes you think if this kind of railway system to airport is needed at all...
DeleteBEG-Zemun Polje will be a 5-minute ride, I really don't believe they'll make people transfer after it. I mean, they can introduce bus BEG-Zemun Polje today if that is the idea, but I doubt it. BEG station should have direct train to (New) Belgrade station and Novi Sad, anything else is just stupid.
DeleteAnon 11:56
DeleteSame railway track is being used for both BG:Voz and Soko train. Be sure that the train from the airport will link it to the Prokop station. There is no single obstacle for that!
its a line from the city to the airport. You have the list of stations in the article.
DeleteGuys, read the article carefully. One are rail tracks that have to be built the other is rail line. Both are clearly described in the article.
DeleteIt is now but it was a bit confusing in the first version.
DeleteThe problems with the Belgrade urban rail system are: 1. platform height that does not conform to the current standards of modern commuter trains (which are by the book low-floor) which is still an issue at Karađorđev Park, Vukov spomenik and Pančevački most train stops / stations. Introducing commuter trains other than high-floor RVRs at the moment would pose a safety risk for passengers. 2. rolling stock should be modernized by procurement of new low-floor commuter trains. There were plans of procuring such trains from a Russian manufacturer before February 2022, but I doubt that's an option now. Just a note - those old RVR 412/416 Soviet trains do have Vmax of 120 kph.
ReplyDeleteExactly, besides that, the project is still not available. The rail line was initially supposed to pass next to the Zemun depot, but now it should go all the way via Zemun Polje which is more expensive. Nobody knows how the airport station will look like nor where it will be located. Ad hoc planning in nothing new in Serbia.
Delete^ It takes 2 minutes to read the article. There you will find that the technical and project documentation is currently being developed.
DeleteThe documentation and development is taking much more than one year plus the tender procedures and construction at least 3 years, I'm not so optimistic. I wouldn't be surprised if they build the airport station in the later stage after EXPO.
DeleteNo, they have said the contractor will begin work in the middle of 2024 with 18 month deadline to complete the track (it is 18 kilometers - not exactly something that should take longer).
DeleteOh, so you really trust in politician's deadlines and promises. I hope you're right and we get the rail line until 2027
DeleteNo we don't trust them. But there is a deadline they promised to EXPO, not to their citizens, so they will make the deadline.
DeleteRailway line in BEG with its traffic and Air Serbia operations make sense, and it would be good to see it completed as early and possible. At the same time, railway line which is discussed in ZAG as well, has no reason to be built at all, with ZAG pathetic numbers, and humiliated feeder Croatia Airlines, the one to be "praised" the most for such situation. So once again, good work and congratulations from Croatia both to BEG and JU, and shame on you ZAG and especially shame on you OU!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs always making everything about Hrvatska!
DeleteSeek help
DeleteThey don't need a train to ZAG when they have a bus line to LJU lolz
DeleteThey can ask help from French SNCF, they are the best in the world in terms of rails, etc
ReplyDeleteI would arrgue the Chinese have surpassed them and everyone for that matter and they travel 300+ kph
DeleteOh you don't have to argue about that as the French & Chinese are both making Belgrade metro, so they will probably be involved in this too.
DeleteSNCF is not a construction company it's French national railways company. French Alstom is building a rail line, as the airport is under Vinci.
DeleteThis railway line is long overdue. However, the infrastructure should be designed (railway switches and triangles) so that it allows trains from Belgrade to Novi Sad/Sremska Mitrovica and vice-versa to run through. Of course not all the trains should be diverted through the airport, but every second probably should. Without this possibility - this will still be just a half-baked solution.
ReplyDelete+1000
DeleteThis is a really good point
DeleteAnd nobody is making the comment as to where that station will be located at the airport? somewhere near the petrol station, cargo building or maybe underground below T1/T2?
ReplyDeleteUnderground below the terminals would be the best, but no was it can be built in 18 month.
DeleteIf the deadline is to be met, the most they could build is open air stop with 2 platforms, hopefully and partially covered and hopefully with the covered link with the terminals.
I am happy to get this rail link finally, but also said if it will be just improvised how it looks like now.
What exactly is improvised about it? Read the text. No it will not be underground, this is not an undrrground train/metro.
DeleteYet you go underground at Prokop.
DeleteRekao bih da ce stanica na aerodromu biti tipicna seoska stanica na nivou zemlje jos dalje od Cargo magacina. Nece biti zatvorene, tople veze sa putnickim terminalom.
DeleteМислим да ће направити иза паркинга, поред контролног торња. Ту је празан простор и може се ставити станица. Уз све то било би 10 корака од терминала.
DeleteWould there be any help by the state at transferring from the rail link to Air Serbia? Subsidies would be a good idea if you can reach your flight better then.
ReplyDeletePeople commenting here are not only airline experts but also train management experts.
ReplyDeleteWhere is this new “Singidunum” station
ReplyDeleteIt will be located next to the highway interchange to Airport. It's because of the future commercial zone in that area.
DeleteIs the metro also gonna go to the airport?
ReplyDeleteNo
DeleteWhere the Belgrade metro will go nobody can guess, but one thing is for sure, currently the main goal is to miss bus station, not to be even close to any train station, and certainly not to serve airport. The current idea about metro is pretty much not to serve any transportation hub but just to exist for itself.
DeleteHahahahah true
DeleteHere are the facts:
ReplyDelete1) New double tracked train line for 120 km/h is being built on route Zemun Polje-Airport-EXPO.
2) Since no new infrastructure on Zemun Polje-Belgrade section is being planned with this project, line capacity will be reached on this section and will mean fewer services in the start on this line.
3) New services will be introduced with a BGvoz line from Belgrade Center to EXPO via the Airport and a Airport Express service only calling at New Belgrade.
4) Train ride between Airport and Belgrade Center will take 15 min with the express and 25 min with BGvoz.
5) 5 new trains will be ordered
6) Not clear weather BGvoz will have a frequency of 30 mins or will the combined service with AeroExpress jave a frequency of 30 min
7) Due to capacity issues, maximum theoretical service could be a 30 min frequency with BGvoz and a 30 min frequency with Airport Express. For extra services seperate tracks will need to be build for BGvoz from Belgrade to Batajnica.
8) New Airport station is planned on the site of the future new terminal (cheap and easy to build) and will not allow services to Novi Sad and further. For that I propose a new double tracked railway from Tošin bunar to Batajnica via Airport. What they are building will connect Belgrade to the Airport, but this would connect Serbia to it.
30 minute intervals between trains is not enough.
DeleteThey will start purchasing private land for the rail infrastructure sometime in 2028 if Belgrade bypass highway construction timing repeates on this project. In my opinion don't expect rail link before 2030.
ReplyDeleteYes, but that’s like just your opinion, man.
DeleteIf you are capable of comprehending what I wrote, their previous track record at acquiring land for similar project is HORRIBLE. This is not my opinion, just a FACT.
DeleteChill Dude:) #biglebowski
DeleteThis one is pretty important, where there is a will there is a way. Just look at how novi sad-subotica construction site looks like...
DeleteBelgrade highway bypass was not important?
DeleteIt was for Belgrade, but not so much globally, this is another pair of shoes...
DeleteWho said Belgrade highway bypass was not important?
DeleteSta vam nije jasno? To ce biti nova stajalista, a povezivace od Prokopa do Nacionalnog stadiona.
ReplyDeleteThe new rail line will run with the following stops: Prokop (Central) - New Belgrade - Tošin bunar - Zemun - Altina - Zemun polje - Singidunum - Belgrade Airport - Surčin - National Stadium.
The airport line will probably use new trainsets likely Stadler for commonality or a Chinese one for price. There's barely enough RVR sets to cover the existing BGVoz network
ReplyDeleteI’m don’t know, but it feels like there are plenty of trains, but not working ones. Just give a little more money to bgvoz.
DeleteThat is better for direct access to BEG.
ReplyDeleteBest is to return tje old JAT bus service St Mark church - airport.
ReplyDeleteA1 from Slavija has barely any passengers. Busses are just not reliable in Belgrade and it shows that people would rather pay for for a taxi or shuttle to the airport. The new train line with all the fanfare will become very popular when it opens
DeleteA1 not popular? Are you for real?? I have used it 6 times this year (3 time in one way and 3 the other) and it is packed every single time. On two occasions people even had to stand in the minibus because there were no seats left.
DeleteBetter pay for the A1 400rsd than for the taxi 4000rsd!
DeleteToliko je popularan da ide minijaturni minibus. Da je stvarno popularan isao bi zglobni autobus.
DeleteAlthough a rail connection to BEG is sorely needed, this project is nearly pointless unless it is part of a larger reconstruction and expansion of the Beovoz suburban rail system.
ReplyDeleteThe current Beovoz system has very poor ridership. The network is dramatically cut back from what it was in the early 2000s. Besides the much discussed lack of connection to Pancevo, let's not forget that Beovoz used to go all the way to Valjevo. There are only 3 trains per day to Mladenovac (because they must share the right of way with freight traffic on Corridor 10 and it is only single track).
As we have seen with other rail services in Serbia (particularly the Soko service BG-NS), once new trains get introduced and tracks get fixed, the ridership soars. I sincerely commend the diligent workers that keep the RVR trains in operation (the work they do is nothing short of miraculous), but the plain truth is that the trains are very outdated and in abysmal condition. My wife is afraid to ride Beovoz by herself.
We desperately need a full reconstruction of the Beovoz system. We need the network to reach Pancevo and Mladenovac (with high frequency). We need trains that don't look like they are out of a horror film.
Once all that happens, then the connection to the Airport starts to make sense. Without these improvements, this line to the airport is merely a stub line of a crumbling system.
Luckily the future high speed line to Niš will rebuild the track and stations to Mladenovac, and make it double track. The track to Pancevo was improved not too long ago.
The new station building at ŽS Prokop will open in Nov.
There is a lot of potential. It just requires some planning and investment.
+1
DeleteTrue dat.
DeleteIn any other country or region of the world people would be excited about this massive project but here in the Balkans everyone knows everything (znam is a common word everywhere) and everything the government does to improve infrastructure is wrong and corrupt.
ReplyDeleteMost of the comments, like your attitude about life are disgusting.
What an idiotic comment.
DeletePeople all around the world comment about the infrastructure projects that their taxpayer money is being spent on. Look at the protests for the design of the Montreal RER. The design got altered because of that. Basically every project in the world gets scrutinized.
We are not under any obligation to blindly support every project. I am an outspoken supporter of BG-NS and NS-SU high speed rail. I support every motorway project in Serbia.
But that doesn't mean I need to support the poorly designed plans for BG metro and this airport connection.
A railway connection to BEG is sorely needed but we need a well designed project that will serve the people, not to just build something so we can say we have a line to the airport in time for the EXPO.
Try to make better comments from now on.
True. A lot of current projects are about looking good, not working good, and that kind of decision making should be scrutinized.
DeleteMirko NY +1
DeleteBaš tako, utrkuju se ko će da nađe neku manu, caku, podvalu, da omavolaže, relativizuju ili barem kažu, ako nije do sada ni ne mora. Sitne duše!