'Death trap' Balkans railways need major overhaul The 475 kilometre (285 mile) ride between the Serbian capital of Belgrade and Montenegro's southern port of Bar sometimes takes up to 16 hours. The journey was once seen as a pride of communist Yugoslavia, the Belgrade-Bar railroad was designed for speeds of up to 120 kilometres (70 miles) per hour when it was finished in 1976. Nowadays, trains can travel over some sections at only a tenth of that speed. The ailing infrastructure and decades-old trains do not inspire confidence among passengers. Stock shots of the railway.