15:50 Lutovo station. A station doesn't have to necessarily have platforms for boarding passengers. That station serves as a place where two trains can pass each other because of the single track line and the station has a secondary track for that purpose. I would love to travel the Belgrade-Bar line one day. Greetings from Croatia from a train engineer!
I live in Belgrade and I completely understand your impression. Many of us, Belgraders, are ashamed of the relocation of the central railway station to this 'hole' named Prokop (which literally means 'dug through' in Serbian). Anyway, your videos and reviews are excellent, keep up with the great work!
As I remember the current authoritarian regime has been kept re-elected by a large margin. So it seems, corruption and poverty don't bother the population much
I am bulgarian and prokop mean the same so Y E S Also our capital train station isnt way better actually your train station look way better like the train station is above the tracks and under. I am from Ruse and i was at sofia before like 4-5 year when we were going on a greece vacation
I can understand you frustrations, but for me the (night train) journeys that go wrong in some way (read: horribly) are always the most memorable. I, for example, used the old Nairobi-Mombasa lunatic express in 2015, a few months before it was shut down for the modern replacement. About everything that could go wrong did. We'd already departed Nairobi around 6hours late, and by the time we reached Mombasa had raised that to almost a day late, we'd been stopped by an elephant herd crossing the tracks, been stuck in the Tsavo desert by a long abandoned water stop from the colonial days, abandoned before independence because a freight train broke down on the line. Of course we also plundered all beer stores on the train over the hours as well so were friends when we reached our destination. And all that on a train that had been built in the 50s that had no AC, some working sliding windows, but at least the doors locks were all broken so we could cool off by hanging out of those. In short an absolutely amazing experience and my highlight in years of traveling by train. I hope you look back on this journey in a similar way!
The problem with these "memorable" experiences is that they look fun for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure as a tourist, but it's hell for local residents who must rely on these catastrophic means of transportation on a regular basis. I'm used to avoiding certain train services in my shithole country because, honestly, I don't want a "memorable experience" every goddamn day.
@@osasunaitor true, don't want that every day on my way to work either, but in case of both the video and my comment we are not talking about commuter services here but long overnight journeys that might run at most once daily or even just a few times a week where everyone knows some chaos is to be expected. And, crucially, where better alternatives for both cost and time savings are available.
I was traveling from Turkey and in the border with Bulgaria, instead of officers boarding and doing checks like all civilized nations, the entire train stopped and got out to make a line at border control. We spent 2.5 hours waiting for everyone's passports to be checked at 3 am in the night and when we reached Sofia I missed my connection by about 3 hours and had to stay there for the train next day, also got scammed by the taxi driver on my way to hostel. At least i got to see the city and meet some cool people lol. Hostel was actually pretty cool with lots of western europeans.
That was a very nicely shot & edited piece, and it gave a great impression of the journey from Beograd to Bar. I did that route almost forty years ago, and I'm appalled that the old station has been destroyed.
Lutovo is a crossing station on the single-track line; it's sole purpose is to allow trains to pass or overtake each other. AFAIK it also houses some of the electric supply for that section of track.
Also, maybe interesting fact is that the whole station of Lutovo has been made by hand, or in other words, even the foundation and soil of that mountainous station that connects two parts of the mountain has been brought in onto a sight and sort of improvised by workers.
I was taking a tour through Balcans in 2000. I arrived too late at the station to catch this Bar train, I think there was one train a day. A taxi driver saw me rushing in just when the train was leaving the platform. He offered me to catch the train in next station, which he did and it took about an hour. He was driving like a maniac and we almost crashed. The train journey was lovely and scenic. What happened to the old station is a disgrace, I remember it well. I also remember a overnight train where passengers could take their cars, they were unloading them on the platform. I don't know which direction it came from.
Same train. There’s a shot of the car coach at one moment even in this video. I tried last year to buy a ticket for it 3 days before my travel, to no avail.
The beautiful railway station was sacrificed to create "Belgrade on the Water" which is nothing but the biggest launderer of looted state money and drug money.
Every normal person on train delay scheduele: Pretty nervous and frustrated for being late. Serbs on train delay scheduele: Let's have some sunbathing on the tracks boys! 10:34
What you describe as 'normal' is not normal at all. It's typical for materialistic entitled western culture. Meanwhile in places like Serbia people do their best to enjoy their lives. If life gives you lemons make a lemonade.
I travelled from my hometown near Basel (Switzerland) to Belgrade back in 1985 when I was a 14 year old boy. I can remember very well that back then, trains in Yugoslavia were not the same standard as in my country, albeit just a little less confortable, a little more crowded and a little slower, but a reliable and confortable means of transport nontheless at a low cost on top of it. It certainly wasn't worse than in Italy. That was then though... some 40 years later, when I had the brilliant idea to redo the trip from Belgrade to Split (Croatia) by train - as I did on one of my holiday trips in the late 80ies - together with my wife, I was shocked how badly run down the railway lines were. The train was trotting along the line, barely surpassing 40 kph at any time. The interior of the coaches was in shambles. We were the only passengers in the whole car. When we left Belgrade station my head was almost struck by a treebranch as strong as my forearm that was scratching along the sides of the coach. By the time we arrived in Zagreb, I had already caught some skin infection. From there on we continued our journey going along the same line as back then (although somewhat kept in good shape) in a smaller but more modern train. The journey was cheap though... I feel greatly sorry for the loss of the old Station in the center of Belgrade and I don't know if the current solution is better - but whatever it is, I just hope they can bring railways back to life in Serbia (and Bosnia too for that matter) - it is such a shame how they've been ruined over the past decades. .
The old station had one big flaw. It was being proposed as a new UNESCO protected site. ........and if there is anything more vile to us Serbs, its Western acronyms! That's when we knew the station had to go...
To be honest, nothing has been invested in that line due to very poor relations between Serbia and Croatia and I can tell you that things aren't going to improve any time soon.
I lived in Croatia and Serbia until 10 years ago (2014) and as much as I love trains, I avoided them. Zagreb- Split being one of the most notorious and having one of the worst services in all of the heavy used lines. In the late 80s, railways were a lot better but the civil war and general neglect has made a serious impact on the quality of service. Which is a shame as countries of former Yugoslavia have some magnificent routes and Beograd - Bar being one of the most beautiful ones.
As a Swedish rail enthusiast it's I feel really nostalgic seeing all those 441 and 461 class locomotives that are based on (and look a lot like) the Swedish Rb series.
@@SuperalbsTravels Yeah. The Rb's are long gone but their succesor, the Rc's, are still around. Sadly not used very much for passenger traffic anymore, mostly cargo, with the exception of some overnight trains. I actually had to pause your video because I was 100% sure I saw an Rc and wondered what the heck it was doing there. Then I learned about the 441 and 461.
This reminds me of Chris Tarrant's Extreme Railway Journeys and in one episode he travels to the Republic of the Congo and his train breaks down in the middle of a tunnel, in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere
The same thing with the station happened in Athens in 2005. The central historic station was abandoned and replaced with a station full of concrete slabs and unfinished platforms. the idea is an amazing station with 2 floors of platforms and great service. It's been 17 years since then and nothing has happened
Well, both countries had epic international problems that affected construction of just about everything. That said, as a passenger in a less delayed country, this is a great reminder to planners never to end or degrade the old facilities until the replacement ones are fully operational .
Even our German DB has serious trouble with numerous delays. Beside of a lot of labour-strikes over the last years. I especially like the very British way you commentate the travel! Not just concentrating on the lost time in an overheated carriage but still having an eye on the fantastic landscape. And keeping in mind that the world will definitly NOT come to an end when some hundreds Passengers are 10 hours late somewhere!
I took the day train version of this train last summer and have to see that the trip is indeed incredible! Luckily my train was delayed for only an hour which was fine so the trip overall was very nice!
Easy for me to say as someone who didn't spend five unexpected hours baking in the Balkan sun, but I still loved getting to see the scenery from my little laptop here in the US! I've really been enjoying your channel for armchair travels this summer -- thanks for taking one for the team on this video in particular. I spent a couple of years in Bulgaria in the 00s and by far my favorite rail journey is between Sofia and Veliko Turnovo. Loved seeing more Balkan scenery for a little nostalgia bump, and Montenegro has been on my wish list for a long time.
Here is some information and comments from a local train fan: 1) Belgrade Centar station building has begun construction in september, a private investor will complete it by the next year, the station is being built for 40 years. 2) Elevators are operational at the station, around 70 meters from the main enterance there are 2 temporary elevators installed. 3) The ticket area is temporary, it will all be moved to the new station building with a massive hall, ticket office, ticket machines, airline check in, agencies and so on 4) The railway line is in desperate need of repair (Serbian section), no investment was done in the last 30 years exept the Belgrade-Valjevo section, that is the reason for the slow journey, in the beginning it used to take 7 hrs. Plans are in place do renovate the line, documentation is being prepared as we speak. 5) The reason for the breakdowns are old locos, not designed for the route which is demanding for the locos and drivers alike. High inclines, low speeds and so on put a strain on old locos, and also the train length is a big factor. 6) Due to this incident (which also happend last year but nothing happend) ministry ordered 2 locos to be hauling the train, and also made an agreement with Montenegro so they can send their loco into Serbia. I guess a good thing in this bad experience. This is everything, if you have any questions feel fre to hit me up
Regarding Belgrade train station, they finally started construction of the main station building in mid-August, and the building should be finished by November next year. I hope you will come again to check it out.
I'm a bit sceptical that it will be finished in a year, but good news that they finally do some work at least. I do miss the old station, though. They couldn't even route a tram line to Centar (perhaps that's been sorted in the meantime?)
Are the Chinese investing in it by any chance? They seem to do a good job setting up railway tracks and stations in Africa and i heard they're pretty active with all kinds of projects in Serbia too
@@slayjae No Chinese are not involved in constructing the Belgrade Center railways station. The Serbian Railways has made a deal with a private investor to finish the station. They, the private investor, got the rights to use 2/3 of the space above the tracks for commercial purposes and on 1/3 of the area they must build the main station hall. The majority of construction works on the station have already been made in previous years or to be precise decades by Serbian Railways and they built the big concrete box over tracks that is visible in the video. The main station hall and commercial space are currently under construction above that concrete box and the station hall should be finished by the end of 2023.
Beautifully shot and you have done a great job of tightly editing this into a package which is easily digestible. You must have many more wonderful shots that just couldn't have been fitted in to 20minutes, but well done on the discipline of the final cut. As is now expected, an informative and personal narration really draws in the viewer to 'experience' with you the delight and frustration of the journey. I'm very happy with the way you settled into a 'style' of presentation. 😊
Terrific trip! A 10 hour delay is really ridiculous, but then if you'd not had that then the awesome Montenegrin scenery would have been crossed overnight and you'd have missed it! Bit of a win there IMO. On a scenic jourmey like that, I would always choose a daylight train over a sleeper. Great video as usual - thanks!
Thank you very much for the wonderful report about this fantastic trip. I am positively impressed by how you depict individual railway companies for what they are, without constantly comparing them directly. That is very fair indeed! As someone who will soon turn 60, I was also delighted by the windows that can be opened during the journey - sigh! That truly brought back some very good and happy memories! By the way, the fact that the railway workers took so much time and effort for the brake test after the new locomotive arrived speaks very highly of these railway workers, great job! Safety comes first, always, before punctuality, well done!
Probably best to do this line in spring or autumn when more normal temperatures prevail. At least this overnight train still runs. That loco was still in JR livery which tells you all you need to know as to maintenance, or lack thereof, of Serbian railways stock. There are older locos in service in other European countries but they are not neglected. Very brave, but an excellent video came out of this unfortunate experience.
The old railway station in Belgrade has not been demolished, it has been renovated and will become a museum. They did remove the tracks, since it will no longer be a station.
i would really enjoy a ride no mater how old is everything or how delayed it is because of the experience i will live trough and if it is with a favorite person this will be very interesting memory because the ride is not only to get to point B it's about the experience too in nice or old trains it will be nice journey
18:30 , well then, that sounds really nice! In romania, which you also visited i guess, they never even mention about a refund for delays, not to say we had 6 years of added up delay minutes in 2021
They always say that swiss railawys are the most beautiful and the best, but the scenery on the Montenegran part of this line is just incredible. While the rolling stock is not quite up to par with the panorama coaches in switzerland, and the train are not as punctual and fancy, I would still love to take this route for the views you get along the way from one of these old openable-vidow coaches.
What a great trip, and that delay is something. That a small thing to be mentioned here is, there is year building plate above manufacturers name plate on the locomotive, it said built around 1971, which the age of locomotive is around 50 years old.
I traveled there on 2002 on similarly hot July day from Podgorica to Belgrade in a daytime train. Locomotive broke down shortly after passing through the tunnel just above Mala Rijeka viaduct. Thanks to this event I was given privilige to cross that bridge 3 times during that journey: first time before we broke down, second when the train was slowly moving down towards the nearest passing place below the bridge and third time on the way up after new locomotive came from Kolasin to replace the one broken down. I hink that the delay was between 3 and 5 hours only. I remember the scenery and sound of crickets when we waited on that small station at the hot time of the day and swearing of Serbian passengers when the breakdown happenned.
I wish I could have, I very nearly went just before the line and station closed, but never got the time. Still, I did access the old grounds and what's left of the station last summer, which was really interesting.
Brilliant trip! Thank you so much for sharing. That scenery was UNREAL Couldn't stop saying "wow". Despite the delay, it looks like it was well worth it.
Great video. I took the day train version of this trip … it’s certainly a spectacular route. My train was also delayed but nothing close to yours. There’s quite a few scenic railway trips in the Balkans. I highly recommend Sarajevo to Mostar by Talgo. 😍
As I always say "not only the destination is gold, but especially the journey" so as a Romanian,I like somethimes when the train brokens down and we have to stay 45-2 hours,get free drinks and food,the people still smiling and interacting with each other,then when we are back on tracks(literally)they cherish and seem happy
Wobderful! Both: Trip and Video! I made this trip twice in bouth directions: In 1990 and in 2015. And (on this trip) I love the windows to open! In 2015 I used the saison-nighttrain from Novi Sad and had a Single compartment in the sleeper (booked just 2 hours before planned departure in Novi Sad for nearly 90 €, but the train was two hours delayed). It is good, to have delay at the Border of Montenegro, because they not only change the Locomotive, but also make a big Breakcheck - with a hammer knocking at every wheel... - and border controll for every person, Passport and luggage. So its good, to have ended sleeping... And you don't miss the scenic landscape! (I didn't leave the open window till podgorica, except for coffee...)
Thank you for the wonderful review. I have taken the train from Subotica (most northern city) to Bar 5-6 times as a child and will never forget the sceneries.
I think this is your best one yet! Thoroughly entertaining. Your jokes were fantastic and the scenery was amazing. That being said, without the delay would you have seen much?
You had the complete experience! 😂 I was a kid in the '90s, and already back then there were delays like this. But for some reason, I remember them fondly 😃 Trips like this are definitely not for people who are on a schedule or are prone to stress in situations like this.
77 euros is around 20% of the monthly salary for many people in that region. Quite expensive to ride in an old, quite loud and rattly Soviet-era carriage without an airconditioner in that heat. And you are pulled by a locomotive that breaks down twice. This trip seems awesome, but it definitely comes at a price.
Well, that ended up being a long journey. It's actually nice, sometimes, to end up in the middle of nowhere for a while and be able to explore the train and surroundings in more detail - provided you don't need to be somewhere at a specific time. I had something similar happen to me in Bosnia, and I made the most of it.
About 20 years I took the Trenitalia Euronight from Munich to Rome., riding in one of those amazing italian sleeping cars. Great to know they are still in service these days.
I honestly don't blame you for getting some awesome cool shots while stranded but agree that the price is brilliant for an overnight train with stunning views
I remember a trip in 1976 from Budapest to Бар. The railroad track was opened in 1976. The train left Београд in the evening and arrived on plan in the morning in Бар. It has been an exceptional experience. I have been most of the time standing at the open window during night.
@@SuperalbsTravels Yes, but I regret never having been on the old narrow gauge network. When travelling in 1976 to Бар, I was looking out of the window in Ужице and Прибој where the old narrow gauge network had connected, but at this time the narrow gauge railroad in Ужице has already stopped operation on Feb 28, 1974, and in Прибој where the narrow gauge railroad still existed and connected until May 28, 1978 it was too dark to have a view on this old railroad. However, the most spectacular part of the old narrow gauge network, the Šarganska osmica between Вишеград - Мокра Гора - Шарган Витаси, has been rebuilt as a museum train that is really worth to be visited. It is also a spectacular experience! I have been there a few years ago. Шарган Витаси is not far from Ужице, in between the old railroad track has unfortunately disappeared in a reservoir. Best is to start a round trip from Мокра Гора. There is regular operation between Мокра Гора and Шарган Витаси. Unfortunately, there is no regular cross-border operation to Вишеград. The old, historical railroad connection to Бар through narrow gauge, Београд - Ужице - Вишеград - Sarajevo - Mostar - Trebinje - Bileća - Никшић - Podgorica has been an adventure. I would have liked to have exerienced this adventure, but I know a friend who has done this. His reports are very interesting, for instance when he talks about operating the brakes of the old narrow gauge Antivari-train between Вирпазар and Бар as a passenger when the train drove down from the Rumija mountains to Бар.
What a beautiful sleeping compartment ❤ And the loco would be working if they would maintenant it better! But hey: At least they tried and dont do it intentionally like the Deutsche Bahn!
Great video. I'm remember reading in the news about this delay. It's amazing that you were on it. This train is late from time to time. But you really caught the worse delay in years. Still I hope you had a good time. Your videos are great
The final checks when you broke down are clearly the standard checks when you have a new locomotive at the head of the train (these seemed to go a way bit further than that as they seemed to be purging the air from the pipes) but basically you will need to check locally at all carriages that the brakes are working properly. It is a rather cumbersome process, and somewhat redundant in this case, but essential for train safety.
That was a very nicely shot & edited piece (I used to be a VT editor, so I'm a bit fussy about these things!) and it gave a great impression of the journey from Beograd to Bar. I did that route almost forty years ago, and I think it's terrible that the old station has been destroyed.
Aw. The "families of ppl aboard the train waving goodbye" is so.. heartwarming? For some reason. Ayo the window has the mechanism of a car? That's neat.. Will admit these 70s Italian stock look and sound very modern and good for their age. 10h late? And I thought Hungarian 3h delays were bad.. Nice to see Eastern Europeans being Eastern Europeans. That is some resolve right there. Fantastic scenery.
Welcome to Balkans :D. I am impressed with that journey. I live in Bulgaria and our trains are very familiar. But in last years they go better. From video there maybe we have a little better railways from Serbia.
If you can go to Romania, there are some spectacular views on lines: 202 (Petrosani - Târgu Jiu), 100 (Drobeta Turnu Severin - Baile Herculane), 501 (Adjud - Miercurea Ciuc), 502 (Suceava - Ilva Mica). Something close to this (backed-up by Dulevoz..., who went to film on 202). Romania also depassed this delay: 12 hours and (I believe) even more on much better tracks (Fetesti incident).
those shots of the views were amazing, but i couldn't stop thinking about how you must've been holding the camera and that was giving me serious anxiety lol
Yes, railways in the Balkans! I was truly looking after one report as such. Thankfully you did not need to catch a connecting flight in Bar (it seems from your comments) which would have been really inconvenient. The scenery looks gorgeous and I liked the overall video. Did you find it a tad dangerous on board? I've heard from other reports that sometimes there are petty thefts. Finally, you did not mention about a dining car on board, so I guess this was not the case and you had to bring your own supplies. Thanks
As a Brit living in Italy I enjoyed this video, unfortunately south of Salerno, for the near future, there is no high speed line due to the mountains and the difficult terrain. The project is starting to do the last part from Salerno to Reggio Calabria. The best service is on the west coast, on the East coast it will take decades to do a high speed service down to Lecce. Many people complain about Italy but I have to say the local, regional, intercity and high-speed rail services are quite simply excellent.
Belgrade - Bar is not a business train route but a tourist one. Tourism is another name for an adventure full of surprises and this line is an adventure with surprises, although quite monothematic. And that is why it is worth going on vacation to travel on this train on the Belgrade - Bar route.
@16:20 you say "..and I can only imagine how hard the brakes are working at this point". In modern locomotives and EMU/DMUs, we turn the AC/DC-engines into electrical generators, fully able to utilize the kinetic energy to brake the train. On downward slopes, this helps to reduce wear and tear on the mechanical brakes by a substantial amount.
Imagine traveling to Bar for a weekend seaside journey realizing that you might wanna go home almost immediately if you want to get to work on Monday at 8:00 🤣
@@inviatrroxdx6118 To my best knowledge Hungary did not drop a single bomb onto the former Yugoslav territories in the Kosovo War. Also 23 years has passed since then and you still think a 10 hour delay happened because of that? LOL
15:50 Lutovo station. A station doesn't have to necessarily have platforms for boarding passengers. That station serves as a place where two trains can pass each other because of the single track line and the station has a secondary track for that purpose.
I would love to travel the Belgrade-Bar line one day.
Greetings from Croatia from a train engineer!
Thanks for The Information!
@@Lyx_Climbz You're welcome! :)
Serving as a station for "Passing trains"... That's what I thought.
Thanks for the clarification.
If not people, they should at least load more Slivovica bottles there!
Hey! I was about to say the exact same thing. Greetings from a train engineer from Norway!
I live in Belgrade and I completely understand your impression. Many of us, Belgraders, are ashamed of the relocation of the central railway station to this 'hole' named Prokop (which literally means 'dug through' in Serbian). Anyway, your videos and reviews are excellent, keep up with the great work!
ajde ne lupaj uvlakaču
As I remember the current authoritarian regime has been kept re-elected by a large margin. So it seems, corruption and poverty don't bother the population much
I am bulgarian and prokop mean the same so Y E S
Also our capital train station isnt way better actually your train station look way better like the train station is above the tracks and under. I am from Ruse and i was at sofia before like 4-5 year when we were going on a greece vacation
I also dont know why you should be A S H A M E D this train station isnt finished so wait. Love your country from bulgaria
@@AlexSRB Because it's shit? Because of the obvious corruption?
I can understand you frustrations, but for me the (night train) journeys that go wrong in some way (read: horribly) are always the most memorable.
I, for example, used the old Nairobi-Mombasa lunatic express in 2015, a few months before it was shut down for the modern replacement. About everything that could go wrong did.
We'd already departed Nairobi around 6hours late, and by the time we reached Mombasa had raised that to almost a day late, we'd been stopped by an elephant herd crossing the tracks, been stuck in the Tsavo desert by a long abandoned water stop from the colonial days, abandoned before independence because a freight train broke down on the line. Of course we also plundered all beer stores on the train over the hours as well so were friends when we reached our destination. And all that on a train that had been built in the 50s that had no AC, some working sliding windows, but at least the doors locks were all broken so we could cool off by hanging out of those. In short an absolutely amazing experience and my highlight in years of traveling by train.
I hope you look back on this journey in a similar way!
The problem with these "memorable" experiences is that they look fun for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure as a tourist, but it's hell for local residents who must rely on these catastrophic means of transportation on a regular basis.
I'm used to avoiding certain train services in my shithole country because, honestly, I don't want a "memorable experience" every goddamn day.
@@osasunaitor true, don't want that every day on my way to work either, but in case of both the video and my comment we are not talking about commuter services here but long overnight journeys that might run at most once daily or even just a few times a week where everyone knows some chaos is to be expected. And, crucially, where better alternatives for both cost and time savings are available.
I was traveling from Turkey and in the border with Bulgaria, instead of officers boarding and doing checks like all civilized nations, the entire train stopped and got out to make a line at border control. We spent 2.5 hours waiting for everyone's passports to be checked at 3 am in the night and when we reached Sofia I missed my connection by about 3 hours and had to stay there for the train next day, also got scammed by the taxi driver on my way to hostel. At least i got to see the city and meet some cool people lol. Hostel was actually pretty cool with lots of western europeans.
As s serb viewer, thank you for making this! Even if you had some problems during the journey, I hope you enjoyed it!
good to see that the trains are equally late over there as they are here in croatia.
@@GTAmaniac1 good to see that we didn't improve since Yugoslavia
Good to see that even trains in the former yugoslav countries aren't as late as the romanian ones... xD
That was a very nicely shot & edited piece, and it gave a great impression of the journey from Beograd to Bar.
I did that route almost forty years ago, and I'm appalled that the old station has been destroyed.
@@inviatrroxdx6118 after the civile war and economic collapse we get used to it on these type of situation and every other,even today
Lutovo is a crossing station on the single-track line; it's sole purpose is to allow trains to pass or overtake each other. AFAIK it also houses some of the electric supply for that section of track.
I think is also for checking the brakes.
Also, maybe interesting fact is that the whole station of Lutovo has been made by hand, or in other words, even the foundation and soil of that mountainous station that connects two parts of the mountain has been brought in onto a sight and sort of improvised by workers.
There's a traction substation there
I was taking a tour through Balcans in 2000. I arrived too late at the station to catch this Bar train, I think there was one train a day. A taxi driver saw me rushing in just when the train was leaving the platform. He offered me to catch the train in next station, which he did and it took about an hour. He was driving like a maniac and we almost crashed.
The train journey was lovely and scenic.
What happened to the old station is a disgrace, I remember it well. I also remember a overnight train where passengers could take their cars, they were unloading them on the platform. I don't know which direction it came from.
Same train. There’s a shot of the car coach at one moment even in this video. I tried last year to buy a ticket for it 3 days before my travel, to no avail.
I was there in96 ,remember the lovely old station ntravelled back n forth on that route,,memorable😊😊😊
The beautiful railway station was sacrificed to create "Belgrade on the Water" which is nothing but the biggest launderer of looted state money and drug money.
Yes there was car train ,my family used it in 80s (my sister ,me and my parent)
What a story! Going to catch your nighttrain with an intrepid taxidriver - this is a tale to enliven a lot of dinner parties! 😂
Every normal person on train delay scheduele: Pretty nervous and frustrated for being late.
Serbs on train delay scheduele: Let's have some sunbathing on the tracks boys!
10:34
What you describe as 'normal' is not normal at all. It's typical for materialistic entitled western culture. Meanwhile in places like Serbia people do their best to enjoy their lives. If life gives you lemons make a lemonade.
The "International Ticket Cupboard" set a warmhearted mood for this epic journey, in my opinion! Thank you for your excellent reporting, Superalbs!
I travelled from my hometown near Basel (Switzerland) to Belgrade back in 1985 when I was a 14 year old boy. I can remember very well that back then, trains in Yugoslavia were not the same standard as in my country, albeit just a little less confortable, a little more crowded and a little slower, but a reliable and confortable means of transport nontheless at a low cost on top of it. It certainly wasn't worse than in Italy. That was then though... some 40 years later, when I had the brilliant idea to redo the trip from Belgrade to Split (Croatia) by train - as I did on one of my holiday trips in the late 80ies - together with my wife, I was shocked how badly run down the railway lines were. The train was trotting along the line, barely surpassing 40 kph at any time. The interior of the coaches was in shambles. We were the only passengers in the whole car. When we left Belgrade station my head was almost struck by a treebranch as strong as my forearm that was scratching along the sides of the coach. By the time we arrived in Zagreb, I had already caught some skin infection. From there on we continued our journey going along the same line as back then (although somewhat kept in good shape) in a smaller but more modern train. The journey was cheap though...
I feel greatly sorry for the loss of the old Station in the center of Belgrade and I don't know if the current solution is better - but whatever it is, I just hope they can bring railways back to life in Serbia (and Bosnia too for that matter) - it is such a shame how they've been ruined over the past decades.
.
The old station had one big flaw. It was being proposed as a new UNESCO protected site.
........and if there is anything more vile to us Serbs, its Western acronyms! That's when we knew the station had to go...
To be honest, nothing has been invested in that line due to very poor relations between Serbia and Croatia and I can tell you that things aren't going to improve any time soon.
@@srbadijaradovic6198 tačno tako
@@srbadijaradovic6198 hahahahah TRUEEEEE my m8, Sad True!!!
I lived in Croatia and Serbia until 10 years ago (2014) and as much as I love trains, I avoided them. Zagreb- Split being one of the most notorious and having one of the worst services in all of the heavy used lines. In the late 80s, railways were a lot better but the civil war and general neglect has made a serious impact on the quality of service. Which is a shame as countries of former Yugoslavia have some magnificent routes and Beograd - Bar being one of the most beautiful ones.
As a Swedish rail enthusiast it's I feel really nostalgic seeing all those 441 and 461 class locomotives that are based on (and look a lot like) the Swedish Rb series.
Yeah! They're probably more popular down here than in Sweden. 😂
@@SuperalbsTravels Yeah. The Rb's are long gone but their succesor, the Rc's, are still around. Sadly not used very much for passenger traffic anymore, mostly cargo, with the exception of some overnight trains.
I actually had to pause your video because I was 100% sure I saw an Rc and wondered what the heck it was doing there. Then I learned about the 441 and 461.
This reminds me of Chris Tarrant's Extreme Railway Journeys and in one episode he travels to the Republic of the Congo and his train breaks down in the middle of a tunnel, in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere
Lol
The same thing with the station happened in Athens in 2005. The central historic station was abandoned and replaced with a station full of concrete slabs and unfinished platforms. the idea is an amazing station with 2 floors of platforms and great service. It's been 17 years since then and nothing has happened
Well, both countries had epic international problems that affected construction of just about everything.
That said, as a passenger in a less delayed country, this is a great reminder to planners never to end or degrade the old facilities until the replacement ones are fully operational .
That's the most amazing European train journey ever
Even our German DB has serious trouble with numerous delays. Beside of a lot of labour-strikes over the last years. I especially like the very British way you commentate the travel! Not just concentrating on the lost time in an overheated carriage but still having an eye on the fantastic landscape. And keeping in mind that the world will definitly NOT come to an end when some hundreds Passengers are 10 hours late somewhere!
Thank you! I'm glad you like my video style. 😁
Coming back to this after having had a 21 hour delay on Amtrak makes me feel like Serbian train reliability isn't so bad
I took the day train version of this train last summer and have to see that the trip is indeed incredible! Luckily my train was delayed for only an hour which was fine so the trip overall was very nice!
Easy for me to say as someone who didn't spend five unexpected hours baking in the Balkan sun, but I still loved getting to see the scenery from my little laptop here in the US! I've really been enjoying your channel for armchair travels this summer -- thanks for taking one for the team on this video in particular. I spent a couple of years in Bulgaria in the 00s and by far my favorite rail journey is between Sofia and Veliko Turnovo. Loved seeing more Balkan scenery for a little nostalgia bump, and Montenegro has been on my wish list for a long time.
Here is some information and comments from a local train fan:
1) Belgrade Centar station building has begun construction in september, a private investor will complete it by the next year, the station is being built for 40 years.
2) Elevators are operational at the station, around 70 meters from the main enterance there are 2 temporary elevators installed.
3) The ticket area is temporary, it will all be moved to the new station building with a massive hall, ticket office, ticket machines, airline check in, agencies and so on
4) The railway line is in desperate need of repair (Serbian section), no investment was done in the last 30 years exept the Belgrade-Valjevo section, that is the reason for the slow journey, in the beginning it used to take 7 hrs. Plans are in place do renovate the line, documentation is being prepared as we speak.
5) The reason for the breakdowns are old locos, not designed for the route which is demanding for the locos and drivers alike. High inclines, low speeds and so on put a strain on old locos, and also the train length is a big factor.
6) Due to this incident (which also happend last year but nothing happend) ministry ordered 2 locos to be hauling the train, and also made an agreement with Montenegro so they can send their loco into Serbia. I guess a good thing in this bad experience.
This is everything, if you have any questions feel fre to hit me up
The ministry needs to get completely _new_ rolling stock (locos in particular) and they alss have to improve the trackage.
Any photos of the Belgrade Centar design ?
@@RovexHD It is available online for sure. Try and find it
@@RovexHD At 1:40 of this video.
Regarding Belgrade train station, they finally started construction of the main station building in mid-August, and the building should be finished by November next year. I hope you will come again to check it out.
I'm a bit sceptical that it will be finished in a year, but good news that they finally do some work at least. I do miss the old station, though. They couldn't even route a tram line to Centar (perhaps that's been sorted in the meantime?)
@@barvdw They will finally finish main structure, which will finally give them chance to build all planned things on top of station.
Are the Chinese investing in it by any chance? They seem to do a good job setting up railway tracks and stations in Africa and i heard they're pretty active with all kinds of projects in Serbia too
@@slayjae No Chinese are not involved in constructing the Belgrade Center railways station. The Serbian Railways has made a deal with a private investor to finish the station. They, the private investor, got the rights to use 2/3 of the space above the tracks for commercial purposes and on 1/3 of the area they must build the main station hall. The majority of construction works on the station have already been made in previous years or to be precise decades by Serbian Railways and they built the big concrete box over tracks that is visible in the video. The main station hall and commercial space are currently under construction above that concrete box and the station hall should be finished by the end of 2023.
@@vojislavpavic
The design will be what was shown at the beginning?
Holy crap some of those views are absolutely stunningly beautiful.
Italy is not only history but also beautiful towns, mountains and beaches.
This train is definitely on my bucket list. Great video.
Thank you! Hopefully yours runs to time... 🤣
@@SuperalbsTravels 0:48 I think you are very cute! ✌
Beautifully shot and you have done a great job of tightly editing this into a package which is easily digestible. You must have many more wonderful shots that just couldn't have been fitted in to 20minutes, but well done on the discipline of the final cut. As is now expected, an informative and personal narration really draws in the viewer to 'experience' with you the delight and frustration of the journey. I'm very happy with the way you settled into a 'style' of presentation. 😊
Terrific trip! A 10 hour delay is really ridiculous, but then if you'd not had that then the awesome Montenegrin scenery would have been crossed overnight and you'd have missed it! Bit of a win there IMO. On a scenic jourmey like that, I would always choose a daylight train over a sleeper. Great video as usual - thanks!
You’d see worse in india,trains are delayed for 1 day due to weather or loco problems
Thank you very much for the wonderful report about this fantastic trip. I am positively impressed by how you depict individual railway companies for what they are, without constantly comparing them directly. That is very fair indeed! As someone who will soon turn 60, I was also delighted by the windows that can be opened during the journey - sigh! That truly brought back some very good and happy memories! By the way, the fact that the railway workers took so much time and effort for the brake test after the new locomotive arrived speaks very highly of these railway workers, great job! Safety comes first, always, before punctuality, well done!
My goodness the feat of building that railway is magnificent, this is what can happen when there’s a will to achieve something, great post
The delay worked in your favour in a way, as you got to see that gorgeous scenery in the day
Agreed!
Probably best to do this line in spring or autumn when more normal temperatures prevail. At least this overnight train still runs. That loco was still in JR livery which tells you all you need to know as to maintenance, or lack thereof, of Serbian railways stock. There are older locos in service in other European countries but they are not neglected. Very brave, but an excellent video came out of this unfortunate experience.
The old railway station in Belgrade has not been demolished, it has been renovated and will become a museum. They did remove the tracks, since it will no longer be a station.
This is by far one of the most beautiful train journeys and also very well documented. 🙂
Thank you very much! 😁
@@SuperalbsTravels You are welcome, I just stumbled across your channel as an avid travel vlog fan and you just gained a new subscriber 😃
I love the people here. Probably the most coolest people I've ever seen in such situation of train breakdown.
But if you arrived on time, you were asleep when you passed that beautiful sight. So it was perfect for your video.😊
i would really enjoy a ride no mater how old is everything or how delayed it is because of the experience i will live trough and if it is with a favorite person this will be very interesting memory because the ride is not only to get to point B it's about the experience too in nice or old trains it will be nice journey
Agreed, this was a very memorable trip...
18:30 , well then, that sounds really nice! In romania, which you also visited i guess, they never even mention about a refund for delays, not to say we had 6 years of added up delay minutes in 2021
They always say that swiss railawys are the most beautiful and the best, but the scenery on the Montenegran part of this line is just incredible. While the rolling stock is not quite up to par with the panorama coaches in switzerland, and the train are not as punctual and fancy, I would still love to take this route for the views you get along the way from one of these old openable-vidow coaches.
Amazing way to kill time in serene surroundings. I would not mind the delay. Absolutely amazing ride. The best I have ever seen.
What a great trip, and that delay is something. That a small thing to be mentioned here is, there is year building plate above manufacturers name plate on the locomotive, it said built around 1971, which the age of locomotive is around 50 years old.
I traveled there on 2002 on similarly hot July day from Podgorica to Belgrade in a daytime train. Locomotive broke down shortly after passing through the tunnel just above Mala Rijeka viaduct. Thanks to this event I was given privilige to cross that bridge 3 times during that journey: first time before we broke down, second when the train was slowly moving down towards the nearest passing place below the bridge and third time on the way up after new locomotive came from Kolasin to replace the one broken down. I hink that the delay was between 3 and 5 hours only. I remember the scenery and sound of crickets when we waited on that small station at the hot time of the day and swearing of Serbian passengers when the breakdown happenned.
Oh no! Sounds like it's a common thing then... 😂
As a serbian, I would really enjoy this amazing scenic ride to Bar 😃
Stunning and breathtaking
the artwork you get to see if you fold the middle bunk up is absolutely stunning
Well glad that I experienced the old belgrade station back in 2013.
I wish I could have, I very nearly went just before the line and station closed, but never got the time.
Still, I did access the old grounds and what's left of the station last summer, which was really interesting.
Serbia beautiful country with steep mountains. Really enjoyed your video
thank you for letting the scenery do the talking! It was an eloquent experience!
Amazing nature... Love...
Yes! 😍😍😍
Brilliant trip! Thank you so much for sharing. That scenery was UNREAL Couldn't stop saying "wow". Despite the delay, it looks like it was well worth it.
Loved your description of Belgrade station ! the scenery is as you say stunning and the viaduct a true spectacle.
Another great travelog that most of us will never experience. Thanks for taking us along!
Great video. I took the day train version of this trip … it’s certainly a spectacular route. My train was also delayed but nothing close to yours.
There’s quite a few scenic railway trips in the Balkans. I highly recommend Sarajevo to Mostar by Talgo. 😍
you got lucky, you could see all the scenery during the day!
wow ten hours is wild even for the balkans but at least you got to enjoy the scenery!
Hahaha, you're right! 😂
reaaally good videos! all the background-infomration (in this case espacially about tito's train) makes the videos really worth watching!
Thank you!!
As I always say "not only the destination is gold, but especially the journey" so as a Romanian,I like somethimes when the train brokens down and we have to stay 45-2 hours,get free drinks and food,the people still smiling and interacting with each other,then when we are back on tracks(literally)they cherish and seem happy
The construction of new centar station is in full on swing! It will be finished till end of 2023.
Excellent! I did see some pictures recently.
@@SuperalbsTravelsand how it is?
Such a scenic and beautiful train route !!!
This has the potential to become a huge tourist attraction.
Wobderful! Both: Trip and Video!
I made this trip twice in bouth directions: In 1990 and in 2015. And (on this trip) I love the windows to open!
In 2015 I used the saison-nighttrain from Novi Sad and had a Single compartment in the sleeper (booked just 2 hours before planned departure in Novi Sad for nearly 90 €, but the train was two hours delayed). It is good, to have delay at the Border of Montenegro, because they not only change the Locomotive, but also make a big Breakcheck - with a hammer knocking at every wheel... - and border controll for every person, Passport and luggage. So its good, to have ended sleeping... And you don't miss the scenic landscape! (I didn't leave the open window till podgorica, except for coffee...)
Thank you for the wonderful review. I have taken the train from Subotica (most northern city) to Bar 5-6 times as a child and will never forget the sceneries.
Man! I love your simplicity and humor!
what a jolly ride!
I think this is your best one yet! Thoroughly entertaining. Your jokes were fantastic and the scenery was amazing. That being said, without the delay would you have seen much?
I traversed the route in June 2016 without any breakdowns. From the old station ! The Balkans are adventure in real !
You had the complete experience! 😂 I was a kid in the '90s, and already back then there were delays like this. But for some reason, I remember them fondly 😃 Trips like this are definitely not for people who are on a schedule or are prone to stress in situations like this.
The price is epic for a trip like this! Totally worth it! Cheaper than a coach ticket from Chicago to New York.
77 euros is around 20% of the monthly salary for many people in that region. Quite expensive to ride in an old, quite loud and rattly Soviet-era carriage without an airconditioner in that heat. And you are pulled by a locomotive that breaks down twice.
This trip seems awesome, but it definitely comes at a price.
Well, that ended up being a long journey. It's actually nice, sometimes, to end up in the middle of nowhere for a while and be able to explore the train and surroundings in more detail - provided you don't need to be somewhere at a specific time. I had something similar happen to me in Bosnia, and I made the most of it.
True, I did enjoy my experience, even if it was an indisputable disaster.
@@SuperalbsTravelsAre you gay?
Thanks for the stroll down memory lane. I’ve taken that train many times and enjoyed watching your video. 😊
About 20 years I took the Trenitalia Euronight from Munich to Rome., riding in one of those amazing italian sleeping cars. Great to know they are still in service these days.
I honestly don't blame you for getting some awesome cool shots while stranded but agree that the price is brilliant for an overnight train with stunning views
Great review. And great train route. Better luck next time.
Thank you! Might have been a challenging trip, but I sure enjoyed it!
I remember a trip in 1976 from Budapest to Бар. The railroad track was opened in 1976. The train left Београд in the evening and arrived on plan in the morning in Бар. It has been an exceptional experience. I have been most of the time standing at the open window during night.
Wow, back when this incredible route was brand new! 😍😍😍
@@SuperalbsTravels Yes, but I regret never having been on the old narrow gauge network.
When travelling in 1976 to Бар, I was looking out of the window in Ужице and Прибој where the old narrow gauge network had connected, but at this time the narrow gauge railroad in Ужице has already stopped operation on Feb 28, 1974, and in Прибој where the narrow gauge railroad still existed and connected until May 28, 1978 it was too dark to have a view on this old railroad.
However, the most spectacular part of the old narrow gauge network, the Šarganska osmica between Вишеград - Мокра Гора - Шарган Витаси, has been rebuilt as a museum train that is really worth to be visited. It is also a spectacular experience! I have been there a few years ago. Шарган Витаси is not far from Ужице, in between the old railroad track has unfortunately disappeared in a reservoir. Best is to start a round trip from Мокра Гора. There is regular operation between Мокра Гора and Шарган Витаси. Unfortunately, there is no regular cross-border operation to Вишеград.
The old, historical railroad connection to Бар through narrow gauge, Београд - Ужице - Вишеград - Sarajevo - Mostar - Trebinje - Bileća - Никшић - Podgorica has been an adventure. I would have liked to have exerienced this adventure, but I know a friend who has done this. His reports are very interesting, for instance when he talks about operating the brakes of the old narrow gauge Antivari-train between Вирпазар and Бар as a passenger when the train drove down from the Rumija mountains to Бар.
Your pronunciation of Serbian and Montenegrin place names is 100% spot on!
Yay! Thank you so much! 😃
No it is not. MontenEgro instead MontenIgro 😊
9:00 you are lucky that the train broke, cause you got to see those beautiful sceneries :)
It could have been much worse. At night and broken down inside a long tunnel!
Stunning nature! Shame they seem to not treat those old locomotives with much love.
50 years old licooos
Cute little whistle from that relief loco
Haha, it was saying hello! 😂
What a beautiful sleeping compartment ❤
And the loco would be working if they would maintenant it better!
But hey: At least they tried and dont
do it intentionally like the Deutsche Bahn!
Honestly. That all sounds amazing. Even with the delay.
amazing video, I had no idea about such a scenery in this part of Europe.
Great video. I'm remember reading in the news about this delay. It's amazing that you were on it. This train is late from time to time. But you really caught the worse delay in years. Still I hope you had a good time. Your videos are great
0:52 Nice cycle lane!
The final checks when you broke down are clearly the standard checks when you have a new locomotive at the head of the train (these seemed to go a way bit further than that as they seemed to be purging the air from the pipes) but basically you will need to check locally at all carriages that the brakes are working properly. It is a rather cumbersome process, and somewhat redundant in this case, but essential for train safety.
Your Content has improved a lot! I really like your videos
as a serbian person, i am jealous of montenegro for being so beautiful and i hope all the best for our little neighbours to the south!
Ja nisam,plašim sse visine. Bolja meni moja pitoma Šumadoja.
That was a very nicely shot & edited piece (I used to be a VT editor, so I'm a bit fussy about these things!) and it gave a great impression of the journey from Beograd to Bar.
I did that route almost forty years ago, and I think it's terrible that the old station has been destroyed.
The platforms are so narrow... looks dangerous. Scenery is beautiful
Great video !!
Thank you for the awesome reportage video
Aw. The "families of ppl aboard the train waving goodbye" is so.. heartwarming? For some reason.
Ayo the window has the mechanism of a car? That's neat..
Will admit these 70s Italian stock look and sound very modern and good for their age.
10h late? And I thought Hungarian 3h delays were bad..
Nice to see Eastern Europeans being Eastern Europeans. That is some resolve right there.
Fantastic scenery.
Wow, I Love Your Work Man.
Welcome to Balkans :D. I am impressed with that journey. I live in Bulgaria and our trains are very familiar. But in last years they go better. From video there maybe we have a little better railways from Serbia.
Thank you for sharing this lovely video with us. It has earned you a Subscription :)
Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
@@SuperalbsTravels Would you consider coming to Russia to review some of our trains here?
Great trip report
How can you comment on this video as Jago Hazzard's video at the same time?
I remember taking this journey in the same direction back in 2007; I still haven't forgotten waking up the panoramic views of Montenegro.
It is very memorable, as you say!
If you can go to Romania, there are some spectacular views on lines: 202 (Petrosani - Târgu Jiu), 100 (Drobeta Turnu Severin - Baile Herculane), 501 (Adjud - Miercurea Ciuc), 502 (Suceava - Ilva Mica).
Something close to this (backed-up by Dulevoz..., who went to film on 202).
Romania also depassed this delay: 12 hours and (I believe) even more on much better tracks (Fetesti incident).
The worst delay in Romania was over 30 hours
@@Creepex wow
Very nice and informative video!❤
those shots of the views were amazing, but i couldn't stop thinking about how you must've been holding the camera and that was giving me serious anxiety lol
Yes, railways in the Balkans! I was truly looking after one report as such. Thankfully you did not need to catch a connecting flight in Bar (it seems from your comments) which would have been really inconvenient. The scenery looks gorgeous and I liked the overall video. Did you find it a tad dangerous on board? I've heard from other reports that sometimes there are petty thefts.
Finally, you did not mention about a dining car on board, so I guess this was not the case and you had to bring your own supplies.
Thanks
As a Brit living in Italy I enjoyed this video, unfortunately south of Salerno, for the near future, there is no high speed line due to the mountains and the difficult terrain. The project is starting to do the last part from Salerno to Reggio Calabria. The best service is on the west coast, on the East coast it will take decades to do a high speed service down to Lecce. Many people complain about Italy but I have to say the local, regional, intercity and high-speed rail services are quite simply excellent.
Belgrade - Bar is not a business train route but a tourist one. Tourism is another name for an adventure full of surprises and this line is an adventure with surprises, although quite monothematic. And that is why it is worth going on vacation to travel on this train on the Belgrade - Bar route.
The secrecy was amazing, the delays not surprised the engines they look so old.
Excellent video. I really loved it.
@16:20 you say "..and I can only imagine how hard the brakes are working at this point". In modern locomotives and EMU/DMUs, we turn the AC/DC-engines into electrical generators, fully able to utilize the kinetic energy to brake the train. On downward slopes, this helps to reduce wear and tear on the mechanical brakes by a substantial amount.
Imagine traveling to Bar for a weekend seaside journey realizing that you might wanna go home almost immediately if you want to get to work on Monday at 8:00 🤣
the true balkan experience
"Is it on time?"
"no of course it isn't are you insane?"
it wasn't like that but u decided to sanction us during 90-95, bomb us in 99 and keep buying our companies cheap, so our economy is a bit fucked up
@@inviatrroxdx6118 To my best knowledge Hungary did not drop a single bomb onto the former Yugoslav territories in the Kosovo War. Also 23 years has passed since then and you still think a 10 hour delay happened because of that? LOL