New Serbia rail link accelerates travel, deepens Belt and Road cooperation

The recent launch of regular high-speed train connecting Belgrade and Subotica in Serbia, an important project under China's Belt and Road Initiative, has significantly enhanced travel efficiency by drastically cutting travel time, advancing infrastructure connectivity between China and Serbia.

Officially opened on October 8, the railway marks the full operation of Serbia's first 200-km-per-hour railway line.

Operated by the national rail company Srbijavoz, the 183.1-kilometer Serbian section of the Hungary-Serbia railway connects the capital to the north, reducing travel time from six-and-a-half hours to approximately 80 minutes.

Construction of the project began in 2017, with the first phase connecting Belgrade to Novi Sad, which is roughly halfway to Subotica, opening in 2022.

At the peak of construction, over 4,000 Chinese and Serbian workers collaborated on the project.

"Chinese experts have learned to adapt to European standards and familiarize themselves with European certificates. On the other hand, Serbian engineers became familiar with Chinese technical equipment and design concepts and were able to apply globalized principles in construction," said Duan Wei, deputy chief engineer of a joint venture of the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and CCCC.

Built by China Railway International and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the railway is expected to spur tourism, attract investment, and strengthen regional connectivity.

The Hungarian section of the Hungary-Serbia railway, which spans 341.7 kilometers, is expected to open next year.

The U.S. dollar strengthened in late trading on Tuesday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, added 0.07 percent to 98.441 at 1900 GMT.

In late New York trading, the euro was up to 1.1700 dollars from 1.1692 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound rose to 1.3551 dollars from 1.3534 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 157.88 Japanese yen, higher than 157.24 Japanese yen in the previous session. The U.S. dollar was down to 0.7827 Swiss francs from 0.7836 Swiss francs, and it climbed to 1.3618 Canadian dollars from 1.3611 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar fell to 9.2598 Swedish kronor from 9.2861 Swedish kronor.