Serbia halts national rail service ahead of major student protest in Belgrade

Serbian state rail operator Srbija Voz announced a nationwide suspension of train services on Saturday, labeling it “temporary” and offering no reason. This is the third occasion the government has halted rail traffic before large student demonstrations.

The suspension precedes a protest slated for Saturday evening at Belgrade’s Slavija Square, where students are demanding President Aleksandar Vučić’s resignation. The movement grew after the November 2024 tragedy at Novi Sad’s train‑station canopy, which killed 16 people. Protesters accuse authorities of negligence and corruption; prosecutors have charged a former infrastructure minister and others with inflating invoices for Chinese firms involved in the station’s renovation, causing an estimated loss of $115.6 million to the state while the contractors earned $18.8 million.

Independent observers say the rail shutdown was intended to hinder protesters from travelling to the capital, noting previous claims of anonymous bomb threats used to justify similar suspensions. Tens of thousands have attended prior rallies, and organizers expect a comparable turnout. Numerous protest organizers and supporters have been arrested in recent months.