Locals outraged by news plans for Déli Railway Station reconstruction

What happens to the Déli Railway Station has been a topic of interest for years: will it become a green zone, or is it perhaps partially saveable and will finally be utilized? The previous plan in 2018 was to extend the huge campus development project of the University of Physical Education to the railway area parallel to Mészáros Street, but that plan seemed to have changed.

Residents of the area were understandably very pleased with everything, a sports center and student town dotted with green spaces is a much more attractive sight and function than the slowly fading railway factory area. But the years have passed, and despite the tremendeous efforts, the campus construction of TE seemed no different until

this spring, a whole new plan came into the picture: instead of a leisure center, there will be a bus station in place of the rails.

But the locals of District 1 are not happy. A petition and a leaflet have been launched against the planned bus station. Those involved are affraid that noise and air pollution, falling real estate prices are in their near future, while the mayor said that the facility would only have a positive effect on their lives.

Back in 2016, the government decided to have a sports and leisure center in the plant area in question. It was made a grandiose investment that completely transformed today’s outlook. The total design area was 6 acres, of which nearly 13,000 square feet would have been an apartment building with a sizeable underground garage, an ice rink, a golf driving range, tennis courts, a running track, a children’s ski slope, and a climbing center.

Residents of the area were enthusiastic about the development, they expected that the TE would green the area, raise house prices and connect with overpasses in the I. and XII. district side.

Then came the cold shower, when it was announced this spring through communications from the District I municipality that something completely different was being made.

The increased load caused by the Buda Castle has long disturbed both the locals and the local government, at least since the beginning of the 2010s it has been a topic that the bus situation should be settled.

Last October, the House of Representatives voted to address the problems by setting up a bus station. The area they chose was the one where the state had previously planned the Univerity leisure center. It is important to note however that it is not a competitive scenario; as Telex learned,

campus expansion was made impossible by the possible plan of rail development in the distant future.

In response to Telex ‘s questions, the University Secretariat replied:

“Until the concept of a possible connection is completed, the area could only be used to a lesser extent” So since there may be something there at some point, it is not worth making such a large-scale infrastructure investment in the area.

So the section parallel to Mészáros Street will either remain as it is now and continue to rot away in silence, or someone will utilise it until they figure out what the long-term plans are. District I would make an attempt with the bus station for the latter if an agreement is signed with MÁV; They would be contracted for a 15-year lease.

According to the deal, the district will pay a monthly rent of HUF 2.5 million to MÁV, which will be easily profitable even if the occupancy is very low. Thus, the mayor’s office calculates a return on investment in 2.5 years.

A residential unit front has emerged that is rarely seen. To represent their interests, they launched a petition and their own website, a leaflet in the area, and the media. Their position does not seem particularly lenient, yet the mayor says they will be able to come to an agreement with the residents and eventually come up with a solution that is acceptable to everyone.

Read alsoHungary to invest EUR 5.6 bn in railway upgrades around Budapest in 20 years

Source: telex.hu