Alstom has signed a EUR 915 million contract to deliver Belgrade Metro Line 1, Serbia’s first fully automated metro system, a project that marks a major step forward for urban mobility in the Serbian capital.

The contract covers the delivery of an integrated “turnkey” solution for the first line, which will initially connect Makiško Polje to Karaburma. According to the company, the project is expected to reduce pressure on surface traffic and support the city’s long-term development.

The first phase of Line 1 will be 15 kilometers long and have 15 stations, of which 11 kilometers will be in a tunnel. The new route will run directly through the city center, which, according to Alstom, will allow a significant portion of traffic flows to be moved underground and will help reduce chronic surface congestion.

For Belgrade, the project is presented as a structural transformation of urban mobility in a city with nearly two million residents, where the public transit network has so far relied on buses, trams, and trolleybuses.

As part of the project for the public company Belgrade Metro & Train, Alstom will act as a system integrator and deliver a complete solution, including 32 driverless Metropolis trains, each consisting of three cars.

In addition to the trains, the contract also includes: The metro will be equipped with Alstom’s Urbalis CBTC technology, which enables fully automated operation with high capacity and high reliability.

Metropolis trains will be manufactured at Alstom’s plant in Valenciennes, France.

Alstom says that the introduction of driverless metro technology will bring several concrete benefits, including increased frequency, higher passenger capacity, better operational resilience, and enhanced safety.

According to the company, the system will allow headways of up to 90 seconds, supported by an integrated control center and a modern cybersecurity platform.

The project also benefits from financial support from the French government, a development that, according to Alstom, reflects the bilateral cooperation between France and Serbia. The company announced that it has already officially entered the design phase for Line 1.

Andrew DeLeone, President of Alstom Europe, stated that Belgrade’s decision to build its first fully automated metro represents “a pragmatic and bold investment in the city’s future” and a testament to the direction taken by Serbian authorities.

For Serbia, the project also has a historic dimension: it is the country’s first metro system. At the same time, for Alstom, the contract strengthens the company’s position in the automated metro market.