Budapest - Belgrade high-speed railway

Overview:

• Budapest - Belgrade high-speed railway.
• The governments of Hungary and Serbia have agreed a deal with China for it to develop and finance the construction of a high-speed railway between the capitals of the two Central Eastern European countries. 
• Trains will be able to travel at 200km per hour on the planned 350km electrified line, which should cut the journey time between Budapest and Belgrade from around nine hours to under two. 
• The railway forms part of China's 'One belt, one road' strategy, launched in 2013, to improve trade routes between Asia and Europe. 
• Chinese state-controlled companies China Railway International Co and China Railway International Group have entered into a joint venture with Hungary's national rail operator MÁV in relation to the $1.89 billion Hungarian section of the project.
• The EU is investigating whether member state Hungary complied with the trading bloc's public procurement laws in awarding the Chinese companies the construction contracts for the railway. 

Ben Naylor - Regional editor