Following CAF trams, capital city could also get 30 CAF trains for BG Voz – State planning loan of EUR 315 million

The expansion of the BG Voz network, as well as the complete rejuvenation of the worn-out urban rail fleet, has been talked about for years in the city of Belgrade and the state. The purchase of new trains from China was announced, and visualizations of these Chinese trains for the Belgrade urban rail system were even presented, but no further details were discussed.

More concrete steps regarding the renewal of the BG Voz rolling stock, according to eKapija’s findings, were taken recently when state representatives, including officials from the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Economy, had two meetings with representatives of the Spanish CAF (best known in our country for the 30 trams purchased for Belgrade about fifteen years ago). As we were told, CAF held presentations at which it introduced its CAF Civity trains. Apparently, the authorities in charge of this filed in the country liked the offer of the Spanish manufacturer, and as we were told, there is a good chance that new trains will be purchased from CAF for the needs of BG Voz. Specifically, the potential purchase of 30 CAF trains is being considered. For these needs, as we were told, the state plans to take out a loan of EUR 315 million. The investor in the purchase of new trains would thus be the state, while the purchase itself would be formally carried out by Srbijavoz.

For now, no details are known regarding the performance of these trains, their projected speed, or the sections on which they will operate, but it is expected that these will be trains for speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour and that they will initially operate on the new line between Zemun Polje and Surcin, which is currently under construction.

That our findings are not without foundation is also indicated by the recent brief statement of Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Aleksandra Sofronijevic, who mentioned CAF trains to President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic during a promotional ride on the new railroad from Novi Sad to Subotica. We sent questions to the relevant ministry about this more than a month ago, but we have not received any answers to date.

When it comes to the aforementioned Chinese trains for BG Voz, let us remind that, in the spring of 2024, the then Minister of Transport Goran Vesic published on social media a visualization of a Chinese electric train that would run to Surcin, where EXPO 2027 would be held. Vesic indicated at the time that, after the reconstruction and expansion of the BG Voz network, a total of 39 new trains would run on seven lines.

The day before the announcement, Vesic signed a Protocol of Understanding and Cooperation with the Changchun Railway Vehicles company in Belgrade on the procurement of nine new electric trains, which, as specified at the time, would be delivered by the end of 2026 and would operate on a new track to the National Stadium in Surcin and the complex where EXPO 2027 would be held.

These trains, he stated at the time, were designed for a speed of 120 km per hour and will connect EXPO, the Nikola Tesla Airport and the National Stadium with Zemun Polje.

BG Voz is a rail subsystem that has been connecting distant points in the city for years, such as Batajnica and Ovca, but in recent years this subsystem has also included some suburban municipalities. Previously, this public transport subsystem was so reliable that Belgradians joked that you could wind a clock to it, but this has not been the case for a long time. Trains on BG Voz lines are increasingly late, and sometimes they are even canceled.

D. Aleksic

Ministarstvo građevinarstva, saobraćaja i infrastrukture Republike Srbije

Ministarstvo privrede Republike Srbije

Srbijavoz a.d. Beograd

CAF

CAF Civity

Changchun Railway Vehicles Co Ltd

Ministry of Construction Transport and Infrastructure

Ministry of Economy

Srbijavoz ad Beograd

BG voz

Goran Vesić

Aleksandar Vučić

Aleksandra Sofronijević

procurement of CAF trains for BG voz

Zemun polje Surčin railroad

EXPO 2027

Nikola Tesla Airport

National Stadium Surčin