EUROPE: The national freight operators of Serbia, Hungary and North Macedonia have signed a trilateral agreement to co-ordinate efforts to restore freight traffic volumes on the Budapest – Beograd – Niš – Skopje – Gevgelija corridor to levels seen in the early 2000s. The partners have also stated an ambition to exceed them in the future.
Srbija Kargo, Rail Cargo Hungaria and MŽT say the Budapest – Beograd route represents a key link for multimodal flows connecting European ports with inland terminals across the continent, as well as for transit traffic between China and Europe.
The operators emphasised the strategic importance of the western Balkans in expanding the trans-European TEN-T network and supporting the development of multimodal traffic from the port of Piraeus. They say there is a particular need to simplify border and customs procedures and make greater use of digital technologies.
Freight services on the Hungarian section of the Budapest – Beograd line resumed at the end of February 2026 following completion of modernisation works, while the upgraded Serbian section south of Niš was fully restored in October 2025.
