ANOTHER major railway station in Belgrade closes

[Class15]

Dear all,

At the end of September, Serbian Railways closed Topcider Railway station in South Belgrade. This comes just over three years after they closed the main railway station in Belgrade. The only major station in Belgrade is now Beograd Centar, which, despite its name, is miles away from the city centre and is only served by one bus route that runs twice an hour!!!

How to they expect people to use the railway with all this in mind?

Best wishes,

Class15

 

[Fragezeichnen]

I agree that it's a great shame the old railway station was closed, and that Serbian railways are in a very poor state. However, I do not see the station situation as negatively as you.

Whilst it's true that only one bus route goes directly to the station forecourt, providing you are prepared to walk 200 metres up the access road to reach the main road, there is a trolleybus stop with very frequent services to the centre(at least every 5 minutes).

Topcider was a tiny station with no facilities which was further away and less well connected than Centar. The only reason it was used for certain services was due to the lack of car loading facilities at Centar. I am not sure whether they found a solution for loading cars at Centar or if car carrying has been abandoned altogether. So at least for non-driving passengers I would actually see this as an improvement.

At present it's all rather academic, since there are no currently international services linking Serbia with the rest of Europe.

 

[The exile]

I agree that it's a great shame the old railway station was closed, and that Serbian railways are in a very poor state. However, I do not see the station situation as negatively as you.

Whilst it's true that only one bus route goes directly to the station forecourt, providing you are prepared to walk 200 metres up the access road to reach the main road, there is a trolleybus stop with very frequent services to the centre(at least every 5 minutes).

Topcider was a tiny station with no facilities which was further away and less well connected than Centar. The only reason it was used for certain services was due to the lack of car loading facilities at Centar. I am not sure whether they found a solution for loading cars at Centar or if car carrying has been abandoned altogether. So at least for non-driving passengers I would actually see this as an improvement.

At present it's all rather academic, since there are no currently international services linking Serbia with the rest of Europe.

Not even Montenegro?

 

[Fragezeichnen]

I was referring to the services to Zagreb, Budapest and Sofia, from which one can continue to all rail-connected European countries. From Montenegro no further travel is possible by rail.

 

[the sniper]

'Beograd Centar' is a bit of a disaster, ideology over common sense, but there are work arounds that aren't too bad. From the north you can just treat New Belgrade's station as the main station for all of Belgrade. You can get a tram from there to the old (now closed) centralish station in 20 minutes. New Belgrade's station has had a fair amount of cosmetic work done recently so isn't as bad as it used to be, there's a picture on Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_B...edia/File:Železnička_stanica_Novi_Beograd.png

I think there's more work planned to provide better facilities at that station, as it's still pretty sparse.

If you need to get to 'Centar' for services to the south there a various roundabout ways you can get to it. I'd probably personally prefer sticking with rail and going tram/train via Vukov Spomenik station, though I imagine there are quicker road options as mentioned by Fragezeichnen.

Topcider was a tiny station with no facilities which was further away and less well connected than Centar. The only reason it was used for certain services was due to the lack of car loading facilities at Centar. I am not sure whether they found a solution for loading cars at Centar or if car carrying has been abandoned altogether. So at least for non-driving passengers I would actually see this as an improvement.

I think I read that there'll be a car loading facility at Zemun station instead, but I don't think it exists yet.

 

[dutchflyer]

So the old and in its last years seriously neglected main station was to be sold for redevelopment. Is anything going on in fact (as always, very precious land nearby centre town). Though in many a country the main station is redeveloped into a shiny shopping centre with the trains somewhere hidden in the basement, so that could have been a possibility.
But the main BUS station (BAS) was besides and I think handles far more passengers as the trains did when all the outer parts of what was Yugoslavija went their own ways, Cerna Gora (=black mountains, or Monte Negro) the last. You had to pay an entry ´jeton´ to enter it, even with tickets. Is this still in its prime location?
As far as trainstations in capitals go, Tirana in Albania must be even worse, also thrown out of town. Skopje is in its old location, shares with the buses but has also lost any INTernational links.

 

[Class15]

Thanks everyone. I have heard, however, that the closure of the Belgrade to Budapest line is temporary and it will reopen in 2023. I am not, however, quite sure of the reopening date.

 

[the sniper]

Is anything going on in fact (as always, very precious land nearby centre town).

There's actually a huge amount of land that is being redeveloped as part of the Belgrade Waterfront project. It's hard to believe that the old station couldn't have been kept operational just with a somewhat rationalised approach/layout. But the investors from the UAE weren't interested in the railway and that was that...

The bus station has moved too, I believe.

Thanks everyone. I have heard, however, that the closure of the Belgrade to Budapest line is temporary and it will reopen in 2023. I am not, however, quite sure of the reopening date.

It's being upgraded in segments. IIRC services will recommence in the short term, but end to end journey times won't be good for years until it's all done, as they're going to be using indirect routes in the mean time. Belgrade to Novi Sad has nearly been completed by the Russians. The Chinese are doing Novi Sad to Subotica. The entire route is being upgraded to 160kph/200kph standard. I think the Hungarians reckon their side should be done in early 2025.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Though in many a country the main station is redeveloped into a shiny shopping centre with the trains somewhere hidden in the basement, so that could have been a possibility.

The railway right of way along the riverside (but not the station itself) was taken for the Belgrade Waterfront development, so keeping the station open would have required a tunnel to replace the surface tracks.

This video shows a ride across the river and into the old station.

 

[The exile]

The railway right of way along the riverside (but not the station itself) was taken for the Belgrade Waterfront development, so keeping the station open would have required a tunnel to replace the surface tracks.

Wasn't that the trackbed round to / from Dunav station, rather than the main approach?

 

[Class15]

Wasn't that the trackbed round to / from Dunav station, rather than the main approach?

Indeed

 

[riceuten]

The main station was closed to allow for a redevelopment that the Mayor of Belgrade and the ruling party were getting a massive bribe for. Centar is not "miles" from the centre but is in the middle of nowhere, for sure and has one shop, one ATM and almost no other facilities. The station was supposed to be being built out but the money allocated to the scheme has mysteriously gone missing.

I would imagine Topcider has been closed for similar reasons - I guess someone wanted the land that the station was built on.

 

[duesselmartin]

But the plans for Centar were not new? I believe they dated to the 1970s.
The way its done is the problem. Not exactly an inviting welcome into Belgrade, esp when international connections are restored.

 

[Cloud Strife]

The main station was closed to allow for a redevelopment that the Mayor of Belgrade and the ruling party were getting a massive bribe for.

It's quite scary just how many foreign countries have their fingers in Serbia right now. There are Russian, Chinese, Turkish and now Emirati interests with significant stakes in Serbian infrastructure, all without much control at all. While the international media has focused on Vucic as the next Serbian dictator, they've completely missed the part that Serbia is essentially modernising by chaining the Serbian people to these foreign countries who have signed ridiculously one-sided deals in their favour.

The Belgrade Waterfront is just yet another example of that.

I would imagine Topcider has been closed for similar reasons - I guess someone wanted the land that the station was built on.

Topcider was only really renovated (I use the term loosely) so that it could accommodate the motorail trains. It was never meant to be in serious operation, so it's not *that* much of an issue compared to Beograd Centar.

But the plans for Centar were not new? I believe they dated to the 1970s.

Yes, it was intended to replace the Main Station. The idea itself isn't actually terrible, as the old Main Station and other infrastructure essentially divided part of the old city from the river. The whole concept of Belgrade Waterfront is quite fine, it's just that it should never have been designed as a typical Emirati 'hugely expensive and completely inaccessible for locals' project. Had the original plans been implemented for the area, it would have been perfectly acceptable.

The problem with Beograd Centar is that the project was done without consideration for the surrounding area. Had the station been developed in conjunction with the redevelopment/revitalisation of the Centar district, it would have been a success. But the brewery and other buildings nearby were left intact, the tower blocks haven't been renovated, and so it's just a hole in the ground in the middle of nowhere.

If Belgrade Waterfront works, then it's very possible that the area will be handed over for development to some rich developers...