Half a thousand new buses hit Hungarian roads as bus fleet gets major upgrade!

The VOLÁN bus fleet is set to become even more modern, as Hegyi Zsolt, CEO of the MÁV Group, announced on Sunday that a further 120 new buses will enter service by the end of March 2026. By the end of the year, another 180 buses are expected to join the fleet, following the 400 new vehicles that were already deployed last year.

1,000 brand-new Hungarian buses by 2027

Hegyi highlighted that between 2025 and 2027, the MÁV Group will receive a total of 1,000 brand-new Hungarian buses. The final 300 vehicles from this programme are scheduled to begin serving passengers in 2027.

“This fleet renewal is nationwide,” Hegyi explained. “From Győr-Moson-Sopron to Békés, new buses will appear across multiple counties, noticeably improving both local and regional transport standards.”

He added that the arrival of new buses and the retirement of old ones is “the natural order of things,” and that this process is creating a 21st-century bus fleet.

Comfort and accessibility at the heart of the upgrade

“The development of a public transport system that is competitive with private travel in both price and quality is progressing in giant steps at VOLÁN,” said Hegyi. “Thanks to this, by summer 2026 all our buses will be air-conditioned, and an increasing number of towns will be served by accessible, barrier-free routes.”

Looking ahead, Hegyi confirmed: “There is no obstacle to the growth of our bus fleet by the end of 2027. We will focus on renewing the railway sector, preparing for the purchase of over 100 brand-new train sets.”

A milestone in fleet modernisation

According to the MÁV Group, MÁV Passenger Transport Ltd. began taking delivery of another 120 buses in January. This is the next step in a major fleet modernisation programme, announced a year ago by János Lázár, Minister of Construction and Transport, as one of ten ministerial commitments.

The first phase of the 1,000-vehicle programme involved signing a contract last September between MÁV Passenger Transport Ltd. and Kravtex Ltd. for the delivery of 869 new buses. Of these, 400 vehicles were already delivered and put into service in 2025.

The second phase, now underway, includes buses manufactured by the Kravtex-Kühne Group under the Credobus Econell Next model. With these new additions, the number of new buses strengthening the VOLÁN fleet in just one year has surpassed 500.

Strategic deployment across Hungary

The latest deliveries mark another key milestone in renewing MÁV Passenger Transport Ltd.’s bus services. Most of the new buses will serve areas connected to the soon-to-be-upgraded 150 railway line, linking Budapest with Belgrade, particularly in Pest and Bács-Kiskun counties.

Other priority areas include the Mátra region, as well as Győr-Moson-Sopron, Somogy, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Fejér, Komárom-Esztergom, Nógrád, and Békés counties. Buses are being deployed in batches of 10–15, helping to improve local and regional transport standards across Hungary.

Budapest’s tram network is also getting an upgrade: the capital notched up a milestone on Friday as the 100th sleek new tram rolled into service!