NIŠ–BRESTOVAC RAILWAY LINE

Upgrading works on the Salzburg–Belgrade–Thessaloniki railway line

FS Engineering—operating within an international consortium alongside its subsidiary IES, Signalling Solutions, Trioprojekt, and Kosovoprojekt—was awarded the contract by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia for the modernisation of the Niš–Brestovac railway line. Spanning a distance of approximately 24 km, this project forms an integral link within Pan-European Corridor X of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), a strategic transport artery connecting Central and Southern Europe.

The contract encompasses project management, design review, and verification of compliance with the European Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs), including the relevant certification process, for the refurbishment of the entire infrastructure, including signalling, telecommunications, and traction systems.

The project involves a significant infrastructure upgrade, with the maximum line speed increased to 120 km/h (up from the legacy 60–70 km/h), and enhances transport capacity, particularly for freight traffic. The reduction in journey times for passenger and freight services will strengthen connections along the rail corridor, driving higher traffic volumes between Central and South-Eastern Europe.

The works will also bring about a significant improvement in the line’s capacity, safety, and reliability, with direct benefits for service quality and the integration of the Serbian rail system into the main European corridors, particularly towards North Macedonia and Greece.

The project, funded by the European Union, is currently at an advanced stage of implementation. The works are being carried out whilst the line remains partially operational, in order to ensure freight traffic continuity.

To date, overall progress has reached approximately 96 per cent. Completion of the works, including the handover and full commissioning of the line, is scheduled by the end of the third quarter of 2026.