Here is Hungarian state railway’s outrageous advice for travellers abroad

The Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) informed its passengers in a press release that changes will be introduced to the Berlin and Warsaw lines. MÁV advises passengers who cannot make the connection to spend the nights in the waiting room while waiting for the next morning’s train.

This is due to a change in the timetable because of track renewal work on the Czech railway line and may affect those travelling to Berlin or Warsaw. They will only be able to continue their journey the next morning, with a significant delay, Portfolio spotted.

MÁV’s statement

“Track renewal work will be carried out on the Czech Railways from 1 to 13 October and overnight from 25 October to 1 December between Přerov and Ostrava stations. Changes will be introduced to the Metropol EuroNight (EN 476) and Metropolitan EuroCity (EC 270) services.

The Metropol EuroNight (EN 476) travels to Břeclav station with seating carriages only. The Metropolitan EuroCity (EC 270) departing from Nyugati station at 17:29 will also run only to Břeclav, as the train set of the Metropol EuroNight (EN 476), i.e. the sleeping cars from Prague, the sleeping cars and couchettes from Berlin and Warsaw, and the seating carriages to Břeclav, will be served by this Metropolitan EuroCity (EC 270).

For the last Metropolitan EC to Prague in the evening, a relief train departs Břeclav at 21:07 and arrives in Prague at 0:19. The bus group from Berlin to Warsaw departs Břeclav as NightJet train 456 at 22:02 according to the modified timetable. Passengers who have booked a ticket for the sleeping carriage of the Metropolitan EN (EN 476) 364 to Prague but do not catch the Metropolitan EC (EC 270) from Nyugati station at 17:29 can change at Břeclav station to the sleeping carriage of the train from Nyugati station (EN 476) at 19:29. Those who have booked a ticket for a group of coaches to Berlin or Warsaw but do not catch the train that will take them, can wait in the waiting room at Břeclav station until the next morning.”

The last paragraph of the announcement was so astonishing that former State Secretary of Transport Dávid Vitézy felt compelled to post a comment on MÁVINORM’s Facebook page.

“It costs many tens of thousands of forints for a compartment on these night trains connecting Budapest with the German and Polish capitals, and I have used both in recent months. Is it really official MÁV policy to tell passengers to sleep on the bench at Břeclav station? I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t read it written down,”

Vitézy wrote.

We would just like to add that we don’t understand it either.