Powerchina and Tractebel to develop Belgrade’s driverless metro network

The Belgrade metro project consists of three lines serving the Republic of Serbia’s capital. Planned in conjunction with urban developments and heavy rail transport projects, the largely underground driverless metro project will cross the city and the Sava and Danube rivers. The first two lines will converge at Savski Trg, the location of Belgrade’s historic main railway station.  

• The first line (1), running from north to south, will provide services to the Waterfront, the historical centre and to many urban development zones.
• The second line (2), running east to west and passing beneath the Sava river, will link the historical centres of Belgrade and Zemun, passing by Novi Beograd.

With the addition of a third line, already foreseen, the metro network will cover nearly 60 km and serve 61 stations. Preparation works began in 2021 and are expected to run through 2028.

The first two driverless metro lines will meet at Savski Trg, Belgrade’s historic main railway station

The first step in a complex and challenging project

Powerchina Serbia, a subsidiary of Power Construction Corporation of China (Powerchina), one of the world’s largest power construction companies, has chosen Tractebel to assist during the Design and Build tender and for technical services regarding the civil works of line 1. Our team will begin by analyzing and reviewing the preliminary studies, and delivering consulting services to Powerchina for the cost and risks evaluation. These technical services will enable us to define the technical challenges of this complex project in greater detail.

Geotechnical and geological challenges

The geotechnical conditions are variable, the groundwater conditions challenging and the sensitivity of the surrounding structures along the metro route make excavation complex. It will therefore require safe and durable construction methods, such as the use of tunnel boring machines (TBMs), as these allow a shallower route and optimized use of the excavated rock and alluvial deposits while minimizing vibrations, unwanted soil settlement and ground motion in general. Our teams have significant experience and expertise in tunnelling and complex civil engineering, gained over the years on the Grand Paris Express metro lines and other transport infrastructure projects.

“Tractebel is pleased to contribute our expertise to the growth and development of Belgrade as a livable and sustainable capital city. Transport infrastructure projects, certainly one of this magnitude, improve equal access to greener mobility. Our infrastructures teams aim to create a better future with every project we do, so we look forward to delivering top-notch engineering services to our client and the Serbian capital.”

-Grégoire Priol, Project Manager, Tractebel in France