The history of rail transport in Serbia began in the mid-19th century when most of the territory was still held by the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires.
The first rail line on the present-day territory of Serbia was inaugurated on 20 August 1854, between Lisava-Oravica-Bazijaš and the train operated on horse-drawn traffic which were replaced in 1856 by steam locomotives.
Part of the line is located in Serbia passing through Bela Crkva while the rest is in Romania.
 All subsequently built lines were laid towards Budapest as the territory was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire back then.
 On the territory which was under the Ottomans, the line Skopje-Kosovska Mitrovica was inaugurated in 1874.
 However, the major expansion began after the Berlin Congress and the independence of the, theretofore vassal to the Ottomans, Principality of Serbia during the second half of the 19th century.

Serbian Railways as a company is traced back to 1881 when Prince Milan I declared formation of the Serbian National Railways.
The first train departed from Belgrade to Niš on 23 August 1884, which is considered by Serbian Railways as the official year when the company was created.

This was not the first operational railway on the territory of then-Kingdom of Serbia, though, as the one in opened in 1882, a primarily industrial, though occasionally used for passenger transport, 12 km long 600 mm wide gauge track from Majdanpek copper processing plant to Velike Livade (a former village taken over by the plant) and constructed by the Serbian Copper & Iron Co. (official name in English, most stock holders were British) had its first run on the track in June 1882.

Another one in Eastern Serbia followed suit in 1888, the 82 km long dual purpose (industrial and passenger transport) 760 mm gauge track from Vrška Čuka mine to the port of Radujevac on the Danube, built by the Societé Anonyme "L'Industrielle Serbe" registered at Brussels in Belgian, French, (Austro-)Hungarian, and Serbian ownership (in order of the percentage of stock owned).

From the 1920s until the 1990s it operated under the name Yugoslav Railways, responsible for railways in all Yugoslavia.
The first electrified line was opened between Belgrade and Šid in 1970.
Line connecting Serbia with south Adriatic (Belgrade-Bar) was opened in 1976.
The history of rail transport in Serbia began in the mid-19th century when most of the territory was still held by the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires. The first rail line on the present-day territory of Serbia was inaugurated on 20 August 1854, between Lisava-Oravica-Bazijaš and the train operated on horse-drawn traffic which were replaced in 1856 by steam locomotives. Part of the line is located in Serbia passing through Bela Crkva while the rest is in Romania.  All subsequently built lines were laid towards Budapest as the territory was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire back then.  On the territory which was under the Ottomans, the line Skopje-Kosovska Mitrovica was inaugurated in 1874.  However, the major expansion began after the Berlin Congress and the independence of the, theretofore vassal to the Ottomans, Principality of Serbia during the second half of the 19th century.
Serbian Railways as a company is traced back to 1881 when Prince Milan I declared formation of the Serbian National Railways. The first train departed from Belgrade to Niš on 23 August 1884, which is considered by Serbian Railways as the official year when the company was created.
This was not the first operational railway on the territory of then-Kingdom of Serbia, though, as the one in opened in 1882, a primarily industrial, though occasionally used for passenger transport, 12 km long 600 mm wide gauge track from Majdanpek copper processing plant to Velike Livade (a former village taken over by the plant) and constructed by the Serbian Copper & Iron Co. (official name in English, most stock holders were British) had its first run on the track in June 1882.
Another one in Eastern Serbia followed suit in 1888, the 82 km long dual purpose (industrial and passenger transport) 760 mm gauge track from Vrška Čuka mine to the port of Radujevac on the Danube, built by the Societé Anonyme "L'Industrielle Serbe" registered at Brussels in Belgian, French, (Austro-)Hungarian, and Serbian ownership (in order of the percentage of stock owned).
From the 1920s until the 1990s it operated under the name Yugoslav Railways, responsible for railways in all Yugoslavia. The first electrified line was opened between Belgrade and Šid in 1970. Line connecting Serbia with south Adriatic (Belgrade-Bar) was opened in 1976.
Serbian Railways