Upgraded Budapest-Belgrade high-speed rail line started operation – photos

Freight trains started operating on the upgraded Budapest-Belgrade rail line early Friday, the CEO of MÁV Group said in a post on social media.

Zsolt Hegyi noted that this marks not only the completion of track construction and infrastructure upgrades, but also the end of the closed testing phase. Daily freight traffic will now test the rebuilt 150 line under live, real-world conditions before passenger services resume, the Hungarian News Agency wrote.

All measurements and track trials have confirmed that the line meets every infrastructural and safety requirement needed for freight trains. Safety, however, depends on more than just the railway staff—it rests equally on other road users, the chief executive cautioned.

“Local residents have grown accustomed over a long period to the absence of trains on the line, but from now on, rail vehicles will once again pass regularly at high speed. We urgently ask everyone not to rely on habit: approach level crossings with full adherence to the Highway Code and due caution!” Hegyi Zsolt wrote.

He highlighted that the refurbishment of the 150 line represented Hungary’s largest rail investment in recent years. In place of the dilapidated 160 km single-track stretch from Ferencváros to the Hungarian-Serbian border at Kelebia, a fully double-track line capable of 160 km/h has been built, complete with state-of-the-art passenger facilities.

The first train, just after midnight, was a MÁV Railtours freight service, led by a Siemens Vectron locomotive newly arrived under the locomotive renewal programme, he disclosed.

Plans for M44 extension to be ready by mid-2028

Planning for the extension of the M44 expressway from Bekescsaba to the border with Romania will be completed by July 2028, Construction and Transportation Ministry deputy state secretary József Pantya said on Thursday.

Speaking in Békéscsaba, Patya said the planning was “around the half-way mark”. The 43km stretch will cost around HUF 230bn. It will take at least four years to complete after the planning finishes.

If you missed:

• Major Budapest train station to close for days in March affecting international and Intercity trains
• Giant company to build train manufacturing facility in Hungary