Niš railway bypass protests

In late July 2026 the municipality of Pantelej in Niš unveiled a General Regulation plan that calls for a horseshoe‑shaped overpass on Borska Street as part of a new high‑speed international railway line. Residents complained that the track would pass within 40 metres of homes in the Vinik neighbourhood at speeds of up to 160 km/h, raising concerns about noise, vibrations, safety and the transport of hazardous materials. They criticised outdated design studies and urged the Ministry of Transport and Serbian Railways to intervene.

A week later the city mayor, Dragoslav Pavlović, asked citizens to await an official proposal from the Institute for Urban Planning. He highlighted that the €153 million EU‑funded bypass would modernise the line, remove it from the city centre and eliminate dangerous level‑crossings, benefiting over 100 000 people. Nonetheless, residents of the Crveni Krst neighbourhood scheduled a peaceful protest for 1 August, fearing that closing Humska street would disrupt traffic, impede emergency services and harm local businesses. They demanded an alternative urban‑planning solution that would preserve normal life in the area.