Budapest and Kelebia stood ready for the most rigorous test yet on the international railway corridor, though nobody was allowed on board to see it. Over the weekend of October 3–4, the Hungarian section of the Budapest–Belgrád railway line underwent a full-scale operational simulation where trains ran strictly according to the planned daytime peak schedule, operating for hours at speeds reaching 160 kilometers per hour, but carrying zero passengers.
While freight trains have been moving along the corridor since late February, passenger services remain grounded seven months after their original target launch date. The newly installed Hungarian government has refused to clear the route for public use until every automated and manual safety protocol is verified beyond doubt.
Simulating Peak Operations Under Cover of Darkness
Transport and Construction Minister Dávid Vitézy shared details of the overnight simulation on social media, noting that the trial effectively modeled various traffic disruption scenarios and emergency handling procedures. The primary focus of the weekend evaluation was the ETCS (European Train Control System) train protection system, a critical safety mechanism required to guarantee operations at 160 km/h.
Reports indicated that while the ETCS safety architecture performed well during the high-speed runs, secondary systems failed to meet operational standards. Specifically, the passenger information systems proved unsatisfactory, leaving the contractor with mandatory fixes before the line can open to the public. MÁV specialists, national transport authorities, and the quality assurance firm TÜV are currently evaluating the weekend data.
Abban hiszünk, hogy az utasokat tájékoztatni kell, nem pedig titkolózni előttük — Dávid Vitézy
Vitézy emphasized that safety remains the absolute priority, stating that passenger transport will not launch until all technical concerns are fully resolved. Official evaluation results from the MÁV and TÜV review will be made public once the comprehensive data analysis concludes.
A Seven-Month Delay Rooted in Technical Hurdles and Political Shifts
The timeline of the Budapest–Belgrád project has stretched far beyond initial projections. Cargo operations officially commenced on February 27, a milestone previously celebrated by former Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and former Hungarian construction minister János Lázár. At the time, officials announced that a brief 15-day window would suffice to wrap up remaining technical and safety checks ahead of a targeted March 15 passenger launch.
Instead, that 15-day window expanded into a seven-month delay.
Across the border, Serbian officials have pointed to Hungarian procedures as the sole reason for the continued wait. Aleksandra Sofronijević, Serbia’s minister of construction, transport, and infrastructure, stated on RTS television that Serbia remains entirely ready for passenger traffic, placing the timeline in Budapest’s hands. Sofronijević acknowledged that Hungarian operators identified critical safety issues concerning the ETCS signaling and control mechanisms at high operating speeds.
