Four 'Black Spots' on Six Kilometers of Track: What Is the Condition of Belgrade's Railway?

Belgrade, Serbia – Concerns are mounting over the state of Belgrade's railway infrastructure, with four critical safety issues identified along a mere six-kilometer stretch of track. These "black spots" have emerged following a deadly canopy collapse in Novi Sad, prompting experts and citizens to question the safety of key facilities.

At the Prokop railway station, cracks have appeared in the supporting beams, raising alarms among experts. While Infrastruktura Železnice Srbije (Serbian Railways Infrastructure) claims the cracked beams, built in 1997, are not part of recent renovations and pose no danger, experts point to excessive weight placed on them. Construction engineer Danijel Dašić stated that the load from newly added commercial structures is 25 to 35 times heavier than originally projected.

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This now placed on the existing slab is some 25 to 35 times heavier than what was projected by the design.

These commercial structures were erected through a public-private partnership between the state and "Railway City," a company owned by businessman Branislav Grujić. Dašić suggested that profit was the primary motive behind these additions. "Railway City" has responded that the beam issues predate their involvement and they were unaware of them when commencing construction of the station building.

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These cracked beams were built back in 1997 and were not included in the renovation works on the station building, which opened in 2023.

Further complicating matters, a subway underpass is being constructed in Bulevar umetnosti while trains continue to operate, and young workers have been observed performing tasks at the reconstructed Novi Beograd station without protective equipment. Additionally, the Hajdin bridge is reportedly at risk of collapse if overloaded.

Despite official assurances that passenger safety is not compromised, the identified issues and internal documents suggest a worrying trend in the maintenance and development of Belgrade's crucial railway network. The work to reinforce the beams at Prokop, valued at approximately 22 million dinars, was awarded to AM Constructions and Milmar gradnja, the only bidders in the tender process.

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The cracks in the beams occurred decades ago and we were not aware of them when we started building the station building and other facilities.