Hungarian state plans drastic service cuts on key HÉV lines due to lack of usable trains

The state is preparing to reduce services on three major HÉV (suburban railway) commuter lines—H6, H7, and H8—due to a shortage of functional trains. During peak hours, capacity on these lines could drop by up to 18% on the H6 (Ráckeve), 23% on the H8 (Gödöllő), and 12% on the H7 (Csepel). The average age of the trains is nearly 50 years, and there is no budget for new purchases. Since the state took control of the HÉV lines from Budapest in 2016, the fleet has deteriorated further, with fewer trains able to run.

Deteriorating fleet, smaller capacity

Photo: www.facebook.com/mavhev

According to HVG, MÁV–HÉV Plc., the state-owned operator of the HÉV, is once again resorting to reducing both the number of trains and overall capacity, as it did at the end of last year. Sources say that both the city of Budapest and the Budapest Transport Center (BKK) strongly oppose this plan. Nonetheless, a new timetable is expected to take effect by mid-December or early January, and initial plans suggest the situation has worsened since last year.

The issue stems from an ageing fleet, with no new trains ordered since plans were cancelled in 2021 due to lack of funding. With fewer operational trains, MÁV–HÉV is forced to make drastic cuts on the Ráckeve (H6), Gödöllő (H8), and Csepel (H7) lines. According to internal documents, four fewer trains will be available for daily service compared to the current capacity.

This year’s situation mirrors the events of late 2023, when it was revealed that only 74 trains would be available for service, down from 78. Last year, the company adjusted timetables for the H5 and H6 lines in an attempt to better distribute its limited resources.

Two plans for the 2024/2025 HÉV timetable

For 2024/2025, MÁV–HÉV has presented two plans. Under the “A” proposal, during peak hours on the H6 line, every second train between Tököl and Közvágóhíd would operate with three carriages instead of six, reducing capacity by 50%, which translates to an overall 18% drop during rush hours. The H8 line would see similar reductions, with some trains cut from six to three carriages, leading to a 13% reduction in morning capacity and 23% in the afternoon.

The “B” plan includes further reductions for the H7 (Csepel) line, where trains would run every 7.5 minutes during school hours instead of the current 6-7 minutes, decreasing capacity by 12% during peak times. This would be the second cut for the H7, significantly impacting commuters from Csepel to the city centre.

Budapest and BKK opposes the plans

The city of Budapest, led by Mayor Gergely Karácsony, along with the BKK, opposes the proposed service reductions but has little legal recourse. The cuts would further strain public transportation for those commuting from the suburbs to the city centre, potentially forcing more people into cars, worsening traffic congestion and increasing environmental impact.

Although the HÉV’s reduced timetable, implemented at the start of 2024 due to train shortages, was labelled “temporary,” it now seems these cuts may become permanent. The planned service reductions are expected to result in overcrowding on affected lines, with some trains seeing 70% or even 90% capacity during peak hours—well above the ideal maximum of 70%, as outlined by BKK’s planning guidelines.

All plans regarding improvements scrapped

The lack of improvements is in stark contrast to the promises made when the state took over the HÉV network, HVG writes. At the time, the government promised to modernise the fleet and improve infrastructure. A 2018 government decree called for the full replacement of the HÉV fleet with nearly 100 new carriages, but the tender process was delayed and eventually cancelled in 2021 due to funding shortages. While Minister of Construction and Transport János Lázár promised that HÉV upgrades would begin in 2023, these plans have since been scrapped.

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