The song “442 to Belgrade” recorded by musician Momčilo Bajagić Bajaga in 1986 for the album “Riders of the Mist” has been subject to various interpretations over the years. Some believe it refers to the distance between Belgrade and Skopje, while others think it has to do with Zagreb, and yet others relate it to a locomotive…
One theory suggests that it represents the distance between Skopje and Belgrade, which are approximately 442 kilometers apart. Another theory states that it’s the route between Zagreb and the capital of Serbia, but this is less likely since the actual distance is around 390 kilometers.
A third theory suggests that “442” refers to the locomotive number JŽ 1 442 001, which set a record of around 180 km/h on the Belgrade-Zagreb railway line in the direction of Belgrade.
