Strategic Environmental Assessment to be prepared for the Special Purpose Spatial Plan of the railway line from Belgrade via Pancevo and Vrsac to the Romanian border for speeds of up to 160 km/h

The Spatial Planning and Urbanism Agency of the Republic of Serbia has adopted a decision to prepare a Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Special Purpose Spatial Plan of the infrastructure corridor of the railway line Belgrade Centre - Pancevacki Bridge - Pancevo Central - Vrsac - state border - (Stamora Moravita).

The reason for preparing and adopting this Special Purpose Spatial Plan, as stated, is to plan, use, regulate and protect the area, ensure the timely adaptation of planning solutions to the needs of the end users of the railway infrastructure, achieve integration with the surrounding area and other modes of transport through spatial accessibility and quality intermodal connections, while ensuring environmental protection.

- The reasons for preparing the Strategic Environmental Assessment have been defined on the basis of the territorial scope and the potential impacts of the Spatial Plan on the environment in the areas of the cities of Belgrade, Pancevo and Vrsac, as well as the municipality of Alibunar. The Strategic Environmental Assessment will cover parts of the territories of Belgrade, Pancevo, Vrsac and Alibunar.

As indicated, the draft Spatial Plan will define the final boundary of the planning area.

- The Strategic Environmental Assessment will consider issues relating to the protection of water, air, soil, wildlife and nature, as well as other issues identified during the preparation process as requiring appropriate analysis - the decision states.

The Spatial Planning and Urbanism Agency is responsible for preparing the Strategic Environmental Assessment, with a deadline of 12 months from the entry into force of the Decision on the preparation of the Spatial Plan.

It should be recalled that in March last year, the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure published a call for expressions of interest for consulting services related to the reconstruction of the Pancevacki Bridge - Pancevo Main - Vrsac - Romanian border railway line, covering a distance of 93 kilometers. The same call had also been published three years earlier.

As previously announced, the project is expected to be financed through loans totaling EUR 102 million provided by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the French Development Agency (AFD) to cover the costs of modernizing Serbia's railway sector. This railway line forms part of Railway Line No. 107, Belgrade Centre - Pancevo Central - Vrsac - Romanian border (Stamora Moravita), which, under the European Agreement, is one of the most important international railway routes linking Pan-European Transport Corridors X and VII with Pan-European Corridor IV in the section passing through Romania.



Currently, the railway is double-tracked on the Belgrade Centre - Pancevo Main (junction) section, while it is single-tracked on the Pancevo Central (divergence) - Vrsac - Romanian border section, and designed for maximum speeds of 80-120 km/h. The project for the construction of a second track on the Pancevacki Bridge - Pancevo Central (divergence) section was completed in 2017 using a loan from the Russian Federation and co-financing from the Serbian state budget, with a total value of USD 89.9 million.

In addition, only the Belgrade Centre - Pancevo Varos (junction) section is currently electrified. The planned reconstruction envisages modernization from Pancevo Bridge at turnout No. 11 in km 5+145 to the Romanian border at km 98+314, including improvements to the alignment to allow speeds of up to 160 km/h.

As previously announced, a new Pancevo Banat station will be built, with the modernized line becoming double-tracked from Pancevo Central Station to the new Pancevo Banat Station, and remaining single-tracked from that station to the Romanian border.

The construction of the new Pancevo Banat Station, intended to meet the needs of local industry, is planned after the junction where the Beli Potok - Vinca - Pancevo Main bypass railway connects to the line toward Vrsac. The project also includes the construction of new garages for heavy railway vehicles, most likely at Pancevo Central and Vrsac stations.

Agencija za prostorno planiranje i urbanizam Republike Srbije

Belgrade Centre–Pancevo–Vrsac–Romanian border railway line