The Hungarian government has unveiled what it describes as one of the largest railway development programmes in the country’s history, committing around HUF 3,550 billion (EUR 9.8 billion) to modernising the national rail network by 2035.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy presented the Baross Gábor Railway Development Plan at Rákospalota-Újpest railway station in Budapest on Wednesday.
According to the government, the programme is intended to reverse decades of underinvestment, improve reliability, modernise rolling stock and make rail a more competitive alternative to driving.
Railway seen as a national strategic priority
Speaking at the launch, Magyar said railway development was not simply a transport policy but a matter of national strategy, affecting economic competitiveness, regional development, labour mobility and Hungary’s international connections.
He argued that rail investment should become a long-term national project extending beyond individual government terms, noting that many European countries are increasingly prioritising rail transport because of its environmental and economic benefits.
The prime minister also criticised the previous government’s approach, saying Hungary must catch up after years of neglect.
Six priorities for Hungary’s rail network
The Baross Gábor plan is built around six main objectives:
- faster, more reliable rail links to every county seat;
- preserving and modernising regional railway lines;
- expanding suburban rail services around Budapest and major provincial cities;
- strengthening cooperation with Budapest on transport projects;
- increasing rail freight capacity to reduce road traffic; and
- improving international rail connections.
Among the longer-term ambitions are preparations for a rail link to Budapest Airport, further studies into high-speed rail, and closer cooperation with neighbouring countries, including the proposed Visegrád high-speed railway network.
New InterCity trains, HÉV fleet and station upgrades
One of the centrepieces of the programme is the renewal of Hungary’s ageing rolling stock.
The government plans to purchase at least 35 new InterCity trainsets and 42 new HÉV suburban railway trains, while preparations will begin immediately for the comprehensive renovation of Hungary’s ten busiest railway stations.
The programme also aims to eliminate many permanent speed restrictions, expand rail capacity, improve digital passenger services and better integrate train and bus timetables.
According to official figures presented at the event:
- the average age of Hungary’s railway vehicles is 43 years;
- almost half of all railway seats lack air conditioning;
- around 40% of the rail network is subject to speed restrictions; and
- approximately one-quarter of the Hungarian State Railway’s (MÁV) rolling stock is currently out of service.
The government’s target is to significantly reduce the average age of trains, improve reliability and eventually achieve an average station-to-station speed of at least 100 km/h on main railway lines.
Projects already taking shape
While the government presented the plan as a new long-term strategy, many of the proposed projects have previously been discussed by Transport Minister Dávid Vitézy.
Expected developments include:
- new tram-train routes around Miskolc and Debrecen;
- modernisation of the Budapest–Szeged, Budapest–Miskolc and Budapest–Lajosmizse railway lines;
- upgrading the Szabadbattyán–Lepsény section towards Lake Balaton;
- improvements to the Budapest–Vienna corridor;
- further planning for the proposed Warsaw–Prague–Bratislava–Budapest high-speed railway; and
- replacement of ageing HÉV trains serving Szentendre, Ráckeve and Csepel.
Several previously suspended railway projects around Budapest are also expected to resume under the programme.
Funding from EU sources and international financing
According to Vitézy, the programme’s HUF 3,550 billion budget would come from several sources. The current funding plan includes:
- HUF 1,100 billion from EU Cohesion Funds;
- HUF 700 billion from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF);
- HUF 400 billion in loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB);
- HUF 400 billion through concession-based investments; and
- HUF 950 billion earmarked for projects in the EU’s 2028–2034 funding cycle.
The government says the programme aims not simply to deliver individual infrastructure projects, but to create a faster, more reliable and passenger-focused railway system capable of competing with road transport by 2035.
If you missed it: Europe’s oldest trains are running in Hungary: Transport Minister Vitézy blames years of neglect
You can watch the video of the press briefing below:
