Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (R) is pictured as he rides the train on the Hungary-Serbia high-speed railway from Belgrade to Subotica, Serbia, Oct. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

As the inaugural train "Soko" (meaning "falcon" in Serbian) of the new Belgrade-Subotica high-speed railway glided through the flatlands of northern Serbia on Friday, President Aleksandar Vucic hailed the convenience that the railway has brought to economic, trade, and personnel exchanges in Serbia and the region, and expressed gratitude to China.

"This railway connects different parts of our country," Vucic said, looking through the window as towns and fields flashed by. "Railroad connects people as well. It's important not only for public transport, for public transportation, for passengers, for transportation. But it's also important for the freight and, for our economy, for bringing more investors into service."

The new 183-kilometer section between Belgrade and Subotica was constructed by China Railway International and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) -- the first high-speed line built by Chinese companies in Europe, designed for speeds up to 200 kilometers per hour.

He continued, "It always has an importance for building ties between the people, between the nations. And speaking about quality infrastructure works, I'm very happy with all the services that were done by the Chinese company here. That is actually a great job."

"I have always been in the mood to scold someone when they were either late or not diligent enough. But there were no such remarks from outside. They were doing some absolutely terrific work and a great job. I am profoundly grateful to our Chinese friends. And we plan to keep on working with them in the future as well," he said.

On board, Vucic described relations between the two countries as stronger than ever. "Well, it's an ironclad friendship. That's how we call it, that we have between Beijing and Belgrade," he told Xinhua, pledging to further such relationship in the future.

He noted that Serbia's cooperation with China began years ago with crucial industrial investments, such as the HBIS steelworks in Smederevo, that saved thousands of jobs and launched new infrastructure projects. "We were financially bleeding -- 12 million, up to $12 million at that time," he said. "They helped us. They kept jobs for more than 5,000 people. Then they started building our infrastructure together with us."

People accompanies a 105-year-old Serbian man to board the train of the Hungary-Serbia high-speed railway, in Belgrade, Serbia, Oct. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

The inaugural ride to Subotica took just over an hour from Belgrade Centre Station, and included senior officials from both Serbia and its partners such as China and Hungary. From March next year, trains will reach Budapest in one hour and 35 minutes.

During the ride, Vucic announced that the line would open for commercial use on Oct. 8, with free travel until Oct. 12. The fare between Belgrade and Subotica will be 2,000 dinars ($20).

Returning to Belgrade later in the afternoon, Vucic reflected on Serbia's next steps. "We have built our main corridor toward Central Europe through Budapest," he said. "Now we must build it much faster, much stronger."

As the "Soko" pulled into the station, passengers applauded -- a symbolic end to a journey that, as Vucic described it, "connects people, economies, and nations" on the same track toward the future.