A dramatic locomotive fire at Budapest’s busy Kelenföld railway station caused major disruption on Monday afternoon. The incident forced authorities to shut down the station and suspend rail traffic on several key western Hungarian lines during the Pentecost holiday.
Locomotive bursts into flames at Kelenföld
According to transport minister Dávid Vitézy, a 27-year-old electric locomotive caught fire at Kelenföld station. The locomotive was reportedly a used French engine leased during the era of former construction and transport minister János Lázár.
The minister said no injuries were reported, but the Hungarian disaster management authority ordered the complete closure of the station area while firefighters battled the blaze.
Hungarian disaster management authorities stated that the locomotive initially began emitting heavy smoke. Railway staff first attempted to extinguish the fire using portable extinguishers, but these proved ineffective. Firefighters later deployed a special foam extinguishing container to tackle the flames.
Train delays, cancellations and replacement buses
The closure caused widespread disruption across railway lines serving western Hungary. According to MÁV and Mávinform, passengers should expect significantly longer travel times, cancelled services and replacement buses on routes passing through Kelenföld.
Vitézy said rail traffic on the Győr main line resumed after roughly 25 minutes, but services on the Balaton and Pécs lines remained disrupted due to power shutdowns required for firefighting operations.
Several trains were forced to turn back at stations, including Háros and Tárnok, instead of continuing towards Budapest.
Mávinform confirmed that rail traffic at Kelenföld station had been completely suspended by disaster management authorities while emergency operations continued. The railway operator added that traffic management arrangements were still being determined and that updated travel information would continue to appear on its official information channels.
Vitézy criticises previous railway policies
Vitézy linked the fire and broader railway problems to what he described as years of neglected railway investment.
“The lack of new locomotive procurement halted by the previous government is now truly coming back to haunt us,” the minister wrote on Facebook.
He added that the ministry’s immediate priority was maintaining safe railway operations while also restarting long-delayed railway development projects and vehicle procurements with the help of European Union funding.
Vitézy also criticised previous restrictions on railway transparency, calling on MÁV to once again make train position data publicly available so passengers can accurately track delays and cancellations across the country.
The minister warned that Hungary’s railway network faces a particularly difficult summer due to ageing rolling stock, failed repair facilities and years of cancelled procurement programmes.
Firefighting operations still ongoing
At the time of publication, firefighting efforts were still underway at Kelenföld station. Authorities have not yet announced when full rail traffic will resume.
Passengers travelling on western Hungarian routes are advised to monitor official MÁV and Mávinform updates before departure.
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