Editing Transport in Serbia

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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}

'''Transport in Serbia''' includes [[Transportation|transport]] by [[road]], [[Rail transport|rail]], [[Air transport|air]] and [[Maritime transport|water]]. Road transport incorporates a comprehensive network of major (i.e. state) and minor (i.e. municipal) roads. Rail transport is fairly developed, although dual track and electrification are not very common. Water transport revolves around river transport while air transport around country's three main international airports.

==Road transport==
{{Main|Roads in Serbia}}
[[File:Мапа ауто-путева октобар 2023..jpg|alt=|thumb|Serbian motorway network:<br />{{legend|green|In service}}{{legend|red|Under construction}}{{legend|gray|Planned}}]]
[[File:Ауто-пут БГ-НИ поред Ражња - Belgrade-Niš Highway near Ražanj.jpg|left|thumb|Belgrade-Niš motorway]]

Serbian road network carries the bulk of traffic in the country: some 55.8 million passengers (carried by buses) and 13 million tons (carried by trucks) in 2018.<ref name="publikacije.stat.gov.rs">{{Cite web | url=http://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2019/PdfE/G20191169.pdf | title=Total transport of passengers and goods, 2017 and 2018 | publisher=Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia | website=publikacije.stat.gov.rs}}</ref> The road network are of comparatively lower quality to the Western European standards because of lack of financial resources for their maintenance in the last 20 years.

As of 2019, total length of roads is 45,419&nbsp;km; major roads are categorized as "state roads" (with total length of 16,179&nbsp;km) while minor roads are categorized as "municipal roads" (with total length of 23,780&nbsp;km).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.putevi-srbije.rs/index.php/en/about-us |title=About Us – PE "Roads of Serbia" |access-date=2018-01-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230072002/http://www.putevi-srbije.rs/index.php/en/about-us |archive-date=2017-12-30 }}</ref><ref name="pod2.stat.gov.rs">{{Cite web | url=http://pod2.stat.gov.rs/ObjavljenePublikacije/G2016/pdf/G20162019.pdf | title=Statistical Yearbook 2016 | access-date=2024-07-30 | website=pod2.stat.gov.rs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.putevi-srbije.rs/sr/putna-mrea-republike-srbije |title= Putna mreža Republike Srbije|website=putevi-srbije.rs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217053433/http://www.putevi-srbije.rs/sr/putna-mrea-republike-srbije |archive-date=17 December 2011}}</ref> By type of roads:

* motorways: 891&nbsp;km
* expressways: 24&nbsp;km
* other roads (paved): 29,300&nbsp;km
* other roads (unpaved): 15,250&nbsp;km

In 2018, statistics on registered vehicles were as follows:<ref name="pod2.stat.gov.rs"/>
* 1,999,771 passenger cars (1 per 3.5 inhabitants)
* 9,929 buses and coaches
* 223,629 lorries and vans
* 66,433 motorcycles and mopeds
 
[[Coach (bus)|Coach]] transport is very extensive: almost every place in the country is connected by bus, from largest cities to the villages. In addition, there are international routes to the neighboring countries (such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia) as well as to Western Europe (mainly to countries of Western Europe with large Serb diaspora such as Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, etc.). Routes, both domestic and international, are served by more than hundred [[intercity bus service|intercity coach services]], biggest of which are [[Lasta Beograd|Lasta]] and [[Niš-Ekspres]].

=== Electric charging network ===
{{As of|2019|09}}, 148 EVs were registered. Serbia has a network of over 30 charging stations (including 5 that are solar powered & 2 [[Tesla, Inc.|Tesla]] Super Chargers) with more planned for construction.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://balkangreenenergynews.com/tesla-hoping-to-open-in-croatia-serbia-in-early-2020-elon-musk/ | title=Tesla "hoping" to open in Croatia, Serbia in early 2020 – Elon Musk| date=24 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tesla.com/findus?bounds=45.24312232405599%2C23.266057770998767%2C43.3083321761554%2C18.162908356936267&zoom=9&filters=store%2Cservice%2Csupercharger%2Cdestination%20charger|title=Find Us &#124; Tesla}}</ref> In 2020, Serbia introduced new purchase & tax incentives for EVs & Hybrids offering up to 5000 euros to help accelerate electrification.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.electrive.com/2020/03/17/serbia-installs-subsidies-for-most-electrified-vehicles/ |title = Serbia installs subsidies for most electrified vehicles|date = 17 March 2020}}</ref> 
 
Serbia is also home to about 1% of global Lithium reserves, the mining & processing of which will be done in partnership with [[Rio Tinto (corporation)|Rio Tinto]] who have committed $1.5 billion of investment in the country.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://seenews.com/news/serbia-rio-tinto-jointly-looking-for-investor-in-batteryev-factory-pm-688858 |title = Serbia, Rio Tinto jointly looking for investor in battery/EV factory – PM| website=SeeNews | date=27 February 2020 }}</ref> The government is currently looking to utilize this resource to produce a major EV battery plant & Rio Tinto is helping locate a strategic partner for this venture.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.serbianmonitor.com/en/serbian-government-and-rio-tinto-looking-for-a-partner-for-production-of-electric-car-batteries/ | title=Serbian government and Rio Tinto looking for a partner for production of electric car batteries| date=27 February 2020}}</ref>

===Historical preview===
[[File:Autoput80.jpg|thumb|[[Brotherhood and Unity Highway|Brotherhood and Unity motorway]] in [[Yugoslavia]]|left]]
The [[Brotherhood and Unity Highway]] was one of the first motorways of Central-Eastern Europe. Opened as early as 1950, it became the backbone of Yugoslav road system, and linked Belgrade through [[Zagreb]] and [[Ljubljana]] with Austrian border, and through [[Niš]] and [[Skopje]] with Greek border. It became the main road link between Central Europe and South-Eastern Europe and Middle East. Nowadays, the section going from Belgrade to the Croatian border is known as the [[A3 motorway (Serbia)|A3]], and links Serbia directly by motorway to Slovenia, Italy, Austria and the rest of Western Europe. While the section linking Belgrade to Niš and further to the border with [[North Macedonia]] is the [[A1 motorway (Serbia)|A1 motorway]] and stretches all the way until [[Athens]], passing through Skopje and [[Thessaloniki]]. With the break-up of Yugoslavia and the geostrategical change, the A1 was linked with the motorway linking Belgrade further North towards [[Novi Sad]], [[Subotica]] and the border with [[Hungary]] going all way until [[Budapest]]. In Niš, the motorway has an extension that runs through [[Pirot]] towards the border with Bulgaria, linking it further with Bulgarian capital [[Sofia]] and running all the way until [[Istanbul]] becoming the most accessible motorway linking the Balkans with Turkey, Middle East and rest of Asia.

==Rail transport==
[[File:Railway_map_of_Serbia_and_Kosovo.png|thumb|right|200px|Railway network in Serbia]]
[[File:Železničko stajalište Altina Soko.jpg|left|thumb|High-speed train ''Soko'' [[Stadler KISS|ŽS 410]]]]

In March 2015, the [[Government of Serbia]] announced its plan to establish three additional new railway companies, splitting the '''''[[Serbian Railways]]''''' in separate businesses. Those companies are: '''[[Srbija Voz]]''' operating [[passenger transport]], '''[[Srbija Kargo]]''' operating [[cargo transport]] and '''[[Serbian Railways Infrastructure]]''' operating as [[Infrastructure Management service|infrastructure management]] company.<ref name="novihcetiri2015">{{cite news|title=Železnice će imati četiri preduzeća od 1. jula|url=https://www.blic.rs/vesti/ekonomija/zeleznice-ce-imati-cetiri-preduzeca-od-1-jula/r9pgjez|access-date=12 January 2018|work=blic.rs|agency=Tanjug|publisher=Blic|date=17 March 2015|language=sr}}</ref>

Rail remains a popular mode for freight transportation with 12.3 million tons carried in 2018. Passenger services are less utilized, carrying just over 16 million passengers in 2018 plus the 5 million riderships in the Belgrade urban rail system.<ref name="publikacije.stat.gov.rs"/><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/beograd.74.html:615222-BG-voz-Rampe-za-putnike-ipak-od-1-avgusta |title = BG voz: Rampe za putnike ipak od 1. Avgusta}}</ref>

The railway system in Serbia consists of 3,739&nbsp;km of rails, of which 295&nbsp;km is double track (7.9% of the network). 33.6% of the network (1,279&nbsp;km) is electrified.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://zeleznicesrbije.com/active/en/home/glavna_navigacija/o_preduzecu/opste_informacije.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525063300/http://zeleznicesrbije.com/active/en/home/glavna_navigacija/o_preduzecu/opste_informacije.html|url-status=dead|title=SERBIAN RAILWAYS – General information|archivedate=25 May 2013}}</ref> Railroads are categorized as either main lines, regional lines, local lines or sidings. Serbia has rail links with all of its neighbouring countries.

==Air transport==
{{Main|List of airports in Serbia}}

There are in total 39 [[airport]]s and 2 [[heliport]]s in Serbia. In addition, three airports are with regular passenger traffic service: [[Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport]], [[Niš Constantine the Great Airport]] and [[Morava Airport|Kraljevo Morava Airport.]]The total air traffic in 2022 reached 6,014,625 passengers and 20 thousand tons in annual cargo tonnage. This figure includes all three airports with schedule international and domestic flights.<ref name="beg.aero">{{Cite web | url=https://beg.aero/eng/press/press_release | title=Press Release &#124; Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport | access-date=23 August 2019 | archive-date=29 February 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229111919/https://beg.aero/eng/press/press_release | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://nis-airport.com/en/traffic-figures/ | title=Statistics &#124; Nis Constantine the Great Airport | access-date=23 August 2019 | archive-date=12 February 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160212143321/https://nis-airport.com/en/traffic-figures/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! No. !! Airport names !! City
|-
| 1 || '''[[Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport]]''' || [[Belgrade]]
|-
| 2 || '''[[Niš Constantine the Great Airport]]''' || [[Niš]]
|-
| 3 || '''[[Morava Airport]]''' || [[Kraljevo]]
|}

[[Airports of Serbia]] is Public Enterprise company owned by the [[Government of Serbia]] for the purpose of better and more efficient management of the airports in the whole country. The company currently manages 5 airports in [[Serbia]] and 1 in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia and Hercegovina]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.aerodromisrbije.rs/en/index-en.html | title=Airports of Serbia }}</ref> [[VINCI Airports]] took over [[Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport]] under concession at the end of 2018. from the state for a period of 25 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://beg.aero/lat/korporativno/o_koncesiji|title=O koncesiji &#124; Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd|access-date=15 October 2022|archive-date=15 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015121616/https://beg.aero/lat/korporativno/o_koncesiji|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{Multiple image
 | align     = center
 | direction = horizontal
 | width     = 
 | image1    = Belgrad Nikola Tesla airport.jpg
 | width1    =
 | alt1      = Terminal2
 | caption1  = [[Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport|Belgrade]] ''Nikola Tesla'' Airport
 | image2    = Niš – Airport.jpg
 | width2    =
 | alt2      = TerminalINI
 | caption2  = [[Niš Constantine the Great Airport|Niš]] ''Constantine the Great'' Airport
 | image3    = Aerodrom Morava.jpg
 | width3    =
 | alt3      = TerminalKVO
 | caption3  = [[Kraljevo-Morava Airport|Kraljevo]] ''Morava'' Airport
}}

The national carrier of the [[Serbia|Republic of Serbia]] is '''[[Air Serbia]]''', a legacy carrier which carried some 2.75 million passengers in 2022<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.exyuaviation.com/2023/01/air-serbia-posts-record-21-million-net.html | title=Air Serbia posts record €21 million net profit for 2022 | date=18 January 2023 }}</ref> flying to the total of 80 domestic and international destinations<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.airserbia.com/en/destinations|title=Airline tickets &#124; Book a flight online &#124; Air SERBIA}}</ref> in more than 30 countries. This includes intercontinental flights to [[New York City]], [[Chicago]] and [[Tianjin]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.airserbia.com/sv/footer_menu/corporate/news/news?id=945 | title=Unknown}}{{Dead link | date=July 2024 | fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> Beside Air Serbia, other established airline companies that fly to Serbia include [[Lufthansa]], [[Air France]], [[Turkish Airlines]], [[Aeroflot]], [[Qatar Airways]], [[Etihad Airways]], [[Alitalia]], [[Austrian Airlines]], [[Swiss International Air Lines]], and [[LOT Polish Airlines]]. Currently, the following [[low-cost airline]]s are flying to Serbia: [[Ryanair]], [[EasyJet]], [[Wizz Air]], [[Transavia]] and [[Norwegian Air Shuttle]].
{{Multiple image
 | align     = center
 | direction = horizontal
 | width     = 
 | image1    = YU-APC Airbus A319 Air Serbia (13923110935).jpg
 | width1    =
 | alt1      = AS1
 | caption1  = Air Serbia [[Airbus A319-100]]
 | image2    = YU-APH_A320_Air_Serbia_(35545496281).jpg
 | width2    =
 | alt2      = AS2
 | caption2  = Air Serbia [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320-200]]
 | image3    = Air_Serbia_ATR_72-500_taking_off_at_Belgrade_Airport.jpg
 | width3    =
 | alt3      = AS3
 | caption3  = Air Serbia [[ATR 72|ATR 72-500]]
}}

===Historical preview===
[[File:Convair 340.jpg|thumb|left|JAT [[Convair CV-340]]]]

Serbia was among the pioneers in mail, freight and passenger air transport. The first airfields were inaugurated in 1910. In 1914, the Banjica airfield was the base for the [[Serbian Air Force]] squadron and the [[Balloon (aeronautics)|Balloon]] Company. After the end of the [[First World War]], the Banjica airfield was used for [[airmail]] traffic and included the routes [[Novi Sad]]–Belgrade–[[Niš]]–[[Skoplje]] and Belgrade–[[Sarajevo]]–[[Mostar]].<ref name="History1">{{cite web|url=http://www.beg.aero/code/navigate.php?Id=111 |author=Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport |title=History: International Belgrade Airport (1927) |access-date=24 July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005035154/http://www.beg.aero/code/navigate.php?Id=111 |archive-date=5 October 2007 }}</ref> Regular passenger transport greatly expanded with the creation of [[Aeroput]] in 1927 which became the Yugoslav flag-carrier and with over 30 planes and having its hub in Belgrade, it became the 21st airline in the world. It linked Belgrade and other Serbian cities such as [[Niš]] and [[Podujevo]] with destinations all around Yugoslavia and also with the main airports in Austria, Albania, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Greece.<ref>[http://www.europeanairlines.no/drustvo-za-vazdusni-saobracaj-a-d-aeroput-1927-1948/ Drustvo za Vazdusni Saobracaj A D – Aeroput] at europeanairlines.no</ref> As early as 1923 foreign companies started regular routes that included Belgrade. Besides Aeroput, [[Air France]], [[Deutsche Luft Hansa]], [[KLM]], [[Imperial Airways]] and airlines from Italy, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Poland also used the airport until the outbreak of the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref name="History1"/> It was one of them, the [[CFRNA]], that on its route linking Belgrade with [[Paris]] and [[Bucharest]], in 1923, that made the first world night flight ever in history.<ref>[http://bturn.com/9120/the-story-of-jat-the-best-and-the-worst-of-balkan-air-travel The story of JAT: the best and the worst of Balkan air travel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305155043/http://bturn.com/9120/the-story-of-jat-the-best-and-the-worst-of-balkan-air-travel |date=5 March 2020 }} at bturn.com, 31-7-2012, retrieved 17-5-2018</ref> The constantly increasing number of passengers made inevitable the building of a modern airport in 1931, which included a modern [[airport terminal|terminal]] building and top landing equipment for poor visibility conditions, that were installed in 1936.<ref name="History1"/>

[[File:JAT DC-10-30 (6068614970).jpg|thumb|right|JAT [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30]] at [[Sydney Airport]], 1985, with classic livery]]

At the end of Second World War the country changed from a monarchy to a communist regime. Aeroput was rebranded as [[JAT Airways|JAT Yugoslav Airlines]] and the reconstruction of the much destroyed infrastructure begin. After [[Tito–Stalin Split]] in 1948, Yugoslavia became one of the leaders of the [[Non-Aligned Movement]]. Following this policy, JAT inaugurated inter-continental flights linking capital Belgrade with all five continents. Its geopolitical position made it able to acquire both, West and East build aircraft. A new modern airport, the [[Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport|Belgrade international airport]] was inaugurated in 1962. Belgrade became a national and regional hub. Besides JAT, a number of other charter and regional airlines were created, with [[Aviogenex]] being the one based in Belgrade. Also, [[Adria Airways]], partially owned by Serbian company InterExport, included numerous flights linking Belgrade with different destinations around the world. During SFRY period Belgrade was linked with flights to destinations as far as Sydney, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Beijing, Johannesburg, New York, Chicago, Montreal or Toronto. Passengers from the region could access all these destinations through connection flights through Belgrade.

The air transport industry was in continuous growth and expansion until the beginning of the Yugoslav wars and the break-up of Yugoslavia. During the war, severe sanctions were imposed upon Serbia and Montenegro which included no-flight zone over Serbia and prohibition of international flights to and from Serbia and Montenegro. This was a major set-back for Serbian airline industry. It will be only after Kosovo War and overthrow of Milosevic that by year 2000 air transport industry started to recover.

==Water transport==

[[File:Port of Belgrade and Belgrade Fortress.jpg|left|thumb|Port of Belgrade]]
[[Serbia]] has a fairly developed inland water transport which carried over 2 million tons of cargo in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stat.gov.rs/WebSite/repository/documents/00/02/52/68/SV10_176-srb_2016.pdf |title=Укупан превоз путника и робе, 2015. и 2016 | language=sr | trans-title=Total transportation of passengers and goods, 2015 and 2016 |access-date=21 July 2017 |archive-date=2 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802050905/http://www.stat.gov.rs/WebSite/repository/documents/00/02/52/68/SV10_176-srb_2016.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> There are 1,716 kilometers of navigable [[inland waterways]] (1,043&nbsp;km of navigable rivers and 673&nbsp;km of navigable canals), which are almost all located in northern third of the country. The most important inland waterway is the [[Danube]], that is part of Pan-European Corridor VII. Other navigable rivers in Serbia include [[Sava]], [[Tisza]], [[Bega River (Tisza)|Begej]] and [[Timiş River]], all of which connect Serbia with Northern and Western Europe through the [[Rhine–Main–Danube Canal]] and [[North Sea]] route. To Eastern Europe Serbia is connected via the [[Bega River (Tisza)|Begej]] and [[Danube]] via Black Sea route, and to Southern Europe via the [[Sava]] river.

Important ports on [[Danube]] river are: [[Port of Novi Sad]] (1.18 million tons of cargo tonnage in 2016) and [[Port of Belgrade]] are the largest, while other river ports on the same river include: [[Pančevo]], [[Smederevo]], [[Prahovo]], [[Apatin]] and [[Bačka Palanka]]. On [[Sava]] river, [[Šabac]] Port is the most significant and on [[Bega River (Tisza)|Begej]] river that is [[Senta]] Port.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.mojnovisad.com/vesti/luka-novi-sad-u-2016.-godini-ostvaren-rekordan-pretovar-robe-id13617.html | title=LUKA "NOVI SAD": U 2016. Godini ostvaren rekordan pretovar robe}}</ref>

Merchant river fleet include 149 ships: 146 [[cargo]] vessels (with total capacity of 173 thousand tons) and 3 [[passenger ship]]s.<ref name="pod2.stat.gov.rs"/>

==Pipelines==

[[File:Oil pipelines in Europe.png|left|thumb|Oil pipelines map]]
 
Through pipeline network some 6.2 million tons of gas and oil were transported in 2018.<ref name="publikacije.stat.gov.rs"/> The natural gas transportation system comprises 3,177 kilometers of trunk and regional natural gas pipelines with 450 million cubic meter underground gas storage facility at [[Banatski Dvor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.srbijagas.com/o-preduzecu/delatnost/transport/transport-prirodnog-gasa.67.html |title=Transport prirodnog gasa |publisher=Srbijagas |date=31 July 2013}}</ref> There are 155 kilometers of crude oil pipelines connecting Pančevo and Novi Sad refineries as a part of trans-national [[Adria oil pipeline]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.transnafta.rs/en/home/about_us/comp_activity/ |title=Transnafta – Home – About us – Company's activity |publisher=Transnafta.rs |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029185815/http://www.transnafta.rs/en/home/about_us/comp_activity/ |archive-date=2013-10-29 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Roads in Serbia]]
* [[Vehicle registration plates of Serbia]]
* [[Serbian Railways]]
* [[Srbija Voz|Serbia Train]]
* [[Airports of Serbia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Serbia topics}}
{{Transportation in Europe}}

{{commons category|Transport in Serbia}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport in Serbia}}
[[Category:Transport in Serbia| ]]