Easier ride home at dawn? No longer just a dream – Budapest offers a new option for nighttime travellers!
In Budapest, you can now count on the metro not only during the day but also late at night, even into the early hours! Since the beginning of summer, metro services have been extended, allowing tens of thousands of people each week to get home more easily and comfortably. And the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) is continuing its customer-focused, passenger-friendly developments: the night network may soon be revamped, making public transportation an even better alternative to taxis or driving.
Since June, the M2, M3, and M4 metro lines have been operating with extended hours. This change reflects shifting travel habits: on weekdays, the last trains leave the city centre around midnight, while on weekends, they depart around 1 AM, running every 10 minutes. Thanks to this, getting home from downtown has become significantly faster and more convenient, even at night, BKK reported.
New metro schedule
With the introduction of the new metro schedule, there’s no longer a need to rush for the last train or to be home before midnight. What’s more, the BKK travel pass now offers even more value, as commuters in the capital receive more and better services for the same price.
Initial feedback on the extended metro hours has been positive: during peak sections (the most heavily travelled stretches between two stations), over 10,000 trips are taken each week, and more than 3,000 people ride the metro at night on a typical weekend day.
This clearly demonstrates the growing demand for safe and efficient nighttime transport.
The Budapest Transport Centre aims to encourage more people to use public transport even when most of the city is asleep. To promote this, BKK has also launched a communication campaign to spread awareness about the extended hours and high-capacity metro services.
Budapest’s night transport system undergoing complete overhaul
The extension of metro service from 1 June 2025 is just the first step in a longer-term effort to revamp the entire night transport system. Day and night services, as well as MÁV’s suburban rail and bus schedules, are now aligned with the extended metro hours. BKK’s goal is to create a night network that mirrors the daytime one more closely by streamlining the current system and improving its connections.
By rethinking the night network, the company aims to offer a real alternative to those who still prefer taxis or driving after late-night activities. BKK believes that a truly well-functioning capital city must also be livable at night—and this is best achieved through safe, affordable, and competitive public transportation.
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