Serbia to buy nine electric trains from China's CRRC

The new trains, capable of traveling at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour, will renew the fleet of state-owned railway operator Srbija Voz. Goran Vesic, the construction minister, stated on the government's website that these trains will serve the future railway sections connecting Belgrade's central neighbourhood of Zemun with the Nikola Tesla International Airport, and the future national stadium.

Vesic said that the new trains should be delivered to Serbia by the end of 2026 at the latest.

The protocol on the deal was signed during the two-day visit of Chinese president Xi Jinping to Serbia on May 7 and 8.

On May 1, Serbia started building a new national football stadium in Surcin, a western municipality of the city of Belgrade, which is expected to be completed by December 1, 2026. The new stadium will be part of the EXPO 2027 complex and will host the UEFA Europa League final in 2028. Infrastructure works will be carried out by China's Power Construction Corporation (PowerChina).

In January, president Aleksandar Vucic revealed Serbia's plans to invest 17.8 billion euro ($19.2 billion) in preparations for EXPO 2027, which is expected to attract some 3 million visitors and to host exhibitors from more than a hundred countries.

($ = 0.929 euro)