Chinese construction giant starts railway line restoration work in Serbia – Xinhua

Zhao Dianlong, chairman of China Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd., speaks during a ceremony at the Resnik Railway Station in Belgrade, Serbia, March 30, 2017. China Railway Corporation China Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CCECC) on Thursday officially launched the rehabilitation project of the 7.5-kilometer railway line. (Xinhua/Predrag Milosavljevic)

Belgrade, March 30 (Xinhua) — The 7.5-kilometer railway repair project in Belgrade, undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Limited, officially started in Belgrade on the 30th.

On January 5, the Serbian Railway Infrastructure Company and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Limited signed a contract for the repair of part of the Belgrade railway infrastructure. The contract amount is 23.8 million euros (25.6 million US dollars) and is expected to be completed in March 2018.

Dusan Garibović, general manager of Serbia’s railway infrastructure, said the project will provide the necessary outlet for Belgrade Railway to the south and connect it with two railways, one to Montenegro and the other to the city of Niš. The work will also improve the operation of Belgrade’s local train BG.

Serbia’s Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic said, “Every kilometer of railway rebuilt in Serbia in the past two years has brought more passengers and cargo to the country’s railways, and also brought more funds for the development of Serbian Railways and Serbia as a whole.”

She said this was China Civil Engineering Group’s first project in Serbia and was funded by a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Mihajlovic said the section of the rail network to be rebuilt had not been moved for more than 30 years, but the government planned to modernize this and similar sections.

The project includes power grids, platforms and stations on a 7.5-kilometer railway line and will increase the capacity of the Belgrade railway hub. The Serbian Railways said the construction will not affect the normal operation of the railway.