Austrian contractor Strabag was this week awarded a €364m contract to add a second track to a 30km section of railway in southeastern Hungary.

The work will be carried out by the company’s Hungarian railway construction subsidiary, Strabag Rail Kft, in joint venture with a Hungarian partner. Strabag’s share of the deal will be 66%.

Thomas Birtel, chief executive of Strabag, commented in a press statement: “The dual-track upgrade of this section of railway from Békéscsaba station to the national border will help to modernise an important link along the Trans-European Network. This will improve the connection between internal markets and the Black Sea ports.”

As well as track construction, Strabag and its partner will construct overhead lines, install the safety and signalling systems, refurbish three stations, and build roads.

The construction phases of the project are due to last 33 months.