It has been almost ten years since there were no direct trains between Romania and Serbia, even though Timisoara is less than 200 km from Belgrade. Below you can read why the trains failed to be introduced and what is the history of the connection with Serbia.

There are still no trains with the neighbor to the south-west

Romania is very bad in terms of international trains. We have many connections to Hungary alone, and the Dacia train arrives in Vienna after a 19-hour journey from Bucharest. There is a Bucharest – Ruse train (cars ran to Sofia and Varna in the summer) and a Craiova – Calafat train with Bulgaria.

• Romania and international trains – 130 years of history, from trains that covered more than 3000 km to much shorter routes today

We do not have trains to Ukraine and Serbia.

Although train times have also been agreed between Romania and Serbia from December 2022, this will not happen. CFR Călători says that VOZ representatives from Serbia have not yet submitted their assumptions on the technical conditions, and the infrastructure capacity allocation calendar has already been finalized and there will be no trains to Vršac, Kikinda or Belgrade.

Data has surfaced on the internet about a proposed schedule for the future Mers al Trenurilor, and it could be a train departing from Timisoara at 7:55 and arriving in Vršac in two hours and three minutes. Another train was supposed to leave for Timisoara at 16:37. Departures from Vršac to Timisoara were scheduled for 10.41 and 19.45, respectively.

From Timisoara to Kikinda departures were scheduled at 08.09 and 15.08, and from Kikinda to Timisoara trains would depart at 11.20 and 18.00 and the journey would take approximately one hour and 50 minutes.

If there was a Bucharest-Belgrade train today, the journey would take about 15 hours, because there are so many speed limits between Bucharest and Timișoara that the journey takes three hours longer than in 1995.

Serbia is not making much headway when it comes to train speeds, with one exception: the Belgrade-Novi Sad line, where trains will reach 200 km/h on 41 km of 78 km from March 2022. The fastest trains take 36 minutes for 78 km.

What CFR Călători says about negotiations with Serbia in response to HotNews.ro

• This year, CFR Călători took steps to restore the international rail connection between Romania and Serbia through both rail borders: Satamora Moravița – Vrsac and Jimbolia – Kikinda.

• Of the several options proposed by CFR Călători, the representatives of VOZ Serbia approved the option of running 2 pairs of trains each from Timisoara north to the border with Serbia and back (Kikinda, respectively Vršac), for which timetables were also agreed.

• The representatives of VOZ Serbia have not yet reported on the assumptions regarding the technical, economic, financial and commercial conditions for the movement of these trains. Given that the negotiations with VOZ Serbia have not taken place, and the fact that the infrastructure capacity allocation calendar has already been completed, the trains proposed by CFR Călători will not be able to be scheduled for the 2022/2023 travel plan.

A brief history of railway communication with Serbia

There are two railway border points between Romania and Serbia. It is 75 km from Timisoara to Vrsac, and 84 km from Vrsac to Belgrade.

Before the Second World War, international long-distance trains with carriages to Paris, Milan or Venice went through the country and through the Jimbolia-Kikinda customs, and the journey to Belgrade took about 20 hours.

In the early 1970s, direct seasonal trains ran in the summer to Rijeka (then in Yugoslavia), on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, via Timisoara – Kikinda. From Timisoara to Rijeka is 770 km, and the trains ran for 17-18 hours.

In the 1980s, the fast 11 – București Express and its pair – left the country via Stamora Moravița, heading for Belgrade. Between Stamora Moravița and Vršac is 15 km.

Another border point of Djibolia is Kikinda, between the two cities is 14 km, and from Timisoara to Kikinda is 58 km.

In 1995, not only the Bucharest-Belgrade train ran, but also the Timisoara-Belgrade train.

In 2010, there was still a direct train Bucharest – Belgrade, via Craiova – Timisoara – Stamora Moravica, 712 km, 12 hours.

In 2015, there were two direct trains per day between Timisoara and Vršac.

Photo source: Dreamstime.com