Great! High-speed railway to Budapest Airport gets greenlight by Hungary’s government
Hungary’s government has confirmed plans to advance the long-awaited dedicated airport rail link to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (also known as Budapest Airport) through a large-scale concession model, with the tender set to be issued in January 2026. The announcement was made by Gergely Gulyás, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, during Wednesday’s government briefing.
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According to the government, the new line will connect the airport with Budapest Nyugati Railway Station along a roughly 26–27-kilometre route. The project, which aims to establish a direct rail connection to the capital’s busiest hub, is expected to be completed within six years. Once operational, trains would run every 5–10 minutes, offering a 19-minute journey between Budapest Airport and the city centre and serving approximately 33,000 passengers per day, reports Telex.
Private financing and key questions
The development will be carried out entirely through private financing. “No state funding will be required; the concession will sustain itself, and the concessionaire will even pay a fee to the state,” Gulyás said. Ticket prices are expected to fall between HUF 3,000 and 4,000 (EUR 7.83 and 10.43), which the minister argued would be competitive compared with taxi fares.
However, railway experts contacted by Telex expressed concern over the project’s opaque preparation process. No feasibility studies, technical documentation or financial breakdowns have been made public so far—an unusual situation for an infrastructure project of this scale.
Several strategic questions remain unresolved, including how the new line will integrate with the existing Budapest Railway Concept, how additional traffic will be managed at the capacity-constrained Nyugati station, and whether new rolling stock must be procured.
Industry observers also highlight uncertainties regarding ownership of the new track section, the structure of track-access fees and how a premium-priced airport link will fit into the national ticketing system, particularly in relation to Hungary’s flat-rate “country pass.” One potential solution reportedly under consideration is a controlled entry-exit system at the airport station to separate premium fares from regular intercity journeys.
Which companies may compete?
Given the unusually tight timeline for finalising the concession design, experts believe that preliminary talks with potential bidders have already taken place. The French Vinci Group—co-owner of Budapest Airport and a major international construction conglomerate—is widely considered a strong contender.
Hungary’s V-Híd, controlled by businessman Lőrinc Mészáros, is also expected to participate. Earlier speculation mentioned Chinese and Austrian interest, though industry insiders say political tensions and past experiences, such as the Budapest–Belgrade railway, may reduce their chances.
Broader development plans around Budapest Airport
The airport rail project forms part of a wider government effort to modernise transport connections to Budapest Airport. Nearly HUF 12 billion (appr. EUR 3.13 million) has already been earmarked for preparatory demolition works, involving 169 buildings, to improve road access. A new 11-kilometre expressway linking the outer Üllői Road to the airport is also planned.
The rail component is budgeted at around €1 billion, covering the construction of 27 kilometres of track between Kőbánya and Monor and integrating the airport station fully into the national rail network. This would make the airport directly reachable from major Hungarian cities such as Debrecen and Győr.
In parallel, airport capacity will expand significantly: the long-delayed Terminal 3 is scheduled to have its foundation stone laid in March 2026, with completion expected between 2034 and 2035. Ministers confirmed that approximately €1 billion will be allocated to the terminal project and another €500 million to associated road infrastructure.
A strategic investment with long-term impact
Budapest Airport is on track to reach nearly 20 million passengers this year—an all-time high. The government views the airport rail link as essential to reaching its long-term target of 30 million annual passengers.
Yet the project also raises concerns about the risks typically associated with large public-private partnerships. Critics warn that concession models can favour private operators excessively, pointing to past examples such as the controversial M6 motorway contract. Without transparent cost projections and clear definitions of future revenue flows—whether through track-access charges paid by MÁV or through ticket sales—the public benefits remain difficult to fully assess.
Even so, the government insists that the dedicated airport rail connection will modernise Budapest’s transport system, ease congestion and bring Hungary closer to European standards. Similar PPP-based projects are already under way elsewhere in the region, such as Prague’s airport rail development led by the Czech national railway authority with backing from the EBRD and EIB.