Budapest-Warsaw high-speed railway network to be built soon?!

Photo: Illustration. Pixabay

Within the framework of the tender of Connecting European Facility (CEF), Hungary is applying for financial support for the expansion of two internationally important railway networks.

Applications for the tender can be submitted until the end of March. The winning projects will be decided by the European Commission and the MPs, and the final results will be published in the summer.

Hungary may also have the chance to win the financial support,

requesting a total of EUR 7.64 million (~HUF 2.8 billion) to continue the preparations for the expansion of two internationally important railway networks:

1. New railway connection between the Kelenföld and Nyugati railway stations

As a result, the largest and most dense section of railway lines in Hungary could be created. Hungary requests support to finance the environmental protection parts of the planned new railway connection.

2. The Hungarian section of the Budapest-Warsaw high-speed railway

A feasibility study is already being carried out on the creation of a high-speed rail link between Central European capitals in an environmentally friendly way. The infrastructural development could create a convenient, fast, competitive mode of transport between Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, and Warsaw, connecting the region to the Western European high-speed rail network.

Environmental protection plays an important role in both Hungarian projects,

as a result of which significant capacities can be freed up on existing lines, opening up space for increasing passenger and environmentally friendly freight traffic in the suburbs.

Furthermore, Hungary is in a good position as its project proposal is in line with an Austrian railway development plan running in parallel; accordingly, Hungary and Austria mutually support each other’s initiatives.

As the Hungarian news portal Magyar Építők reports, thanks to the contribution of the Connecting European Facility, transport development projects in Hungary are carried out with an investment value of EUR 1.8 billion (~HUF 670 billion). Among others, the modernisation of the Kelenföld-Százhalombatta-Pusztaszabolcs and Rákos-Hatvan railway line sections will be completed this year, while the renovation of the Southern Connecting Railway Bridge and the construction of the third track are in progress.