Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Friday inaugurated the Novi Sad-Subotica section of the Hungary-Serbia high-speed railway, marking the opening of Serbia's section of the landmark regional project.

A train departed Belgrade in the morning and arrived in Subotica in about one hour, where a grand opening ceremony was held.

Vucic hailed the railway as a generational achievement that "will forever be written into the history books."

The president underlined the project's realization through close cooperation among Serbia, Hungary and China and praised China's role as a partner in Serbia's modernization drive.

The Serbian section was built by China Railway International and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), with a designed speed of 200 km per hour. Officials said the new line will shorten travel times, boost tourism, attract foreign investment and create an economic corridor through northern Serbia.

According to the constructors, the project has already created over 1,000 jobs in Serbia, upgraded the country's signaling system to the European Train Control System (ETCS Level 2), and included extensive environmental protection measures.

The Hungary-Serbia railway stretches 341.7 km, including 183.1 km through Serbia. The Belgrade-Novi Sad railway section started operation in March 2022.