Huge trouble at Hungarian state railways: line cancellations may occur – UPDATE: MÁV’s response

By the end of September, there will be hardly anyone left to drive the trains at the Hungarian State Railways because the drivers have used up their overtime. Together with VOLÁNBUSZ, the two public transport companies employ 57,000 people and have 4,500 vacancies. The biggest shortages at the railway company are for train drivers, ticket inspectors and wagon inspectors. These positions are so scarce that the timetable can only be maintained through constant overtime.

The increasing shortage of personnel is a major challenge for the MÁV Group, writes Népszava. By the end of September, most train drivers, switch operators and ticket inspectors will have exceeded their annual work time limit. They will also have exceeded the maximum limit of 300 hours of overtime stipulated in the new Labour Code and in MÁV’s current collective bargaining agreement. This can be increased by another 100 hours through other special agreements with extra pay, but that is entirely up to the employees. As we reported earlier, the poor conditions of the railway network system already caused many delays.

Black future for locomotive driver replacement

According to János Meleg, president of the Railway Workers Union, training train drivers will not improve the situation, as it takes months for the applicant to start work. Those who start now would not be able to safely drive locomotives until May. The average success rate for train driver training courses is 60-70%. That’s assuming there are applicants for this kind of job. Being a locomotive driver is no longer as sought-after as it used to be.

“A salary of 800,000 HUF (2100 EUR) is not attractive enough for a train driver,

János Meleg added.

In addition, the generation that makes up the majority of the Hungarian State Railways’ workforce will retire between 2025 and 2027. Then, suddenly, thousands of people will have to be replaced. Dozens of vacancies are already listed on MÁV’s website, but the gap between those hired and those leaving is widening, according to the trade union leader.

Lack of skilled workers

The shortage of skilled workers is not a new phenomenon in the MÁV Group. Even years ago, the roster of train drivers could only be put together with great difficulty. Already eight years ago, the company advertised for employees via loudspeakers on the trains. They looked for locomotive drivers, overhead line fitters, track workers, ticket inspectors, traffic inspectors and carriage drivers were also wanted for several locations.

In the past, there were also examples of suburban services that could not be taken up due to a lack of drivers. Moreover, the old railwaymen are the last well-trained professionals. Since then, the workshops have closed and the teachers are scattered. To make up for the shortage, licencing requirements are being lowered and exams are becoming less demanding. Sometimes a passenger train stalls next to a freight car, a car gets stuck with passengers, or a train stops so suddenly in a station that all the luggage falls on the passengers. The customers’ anger at constant delays, non-functioning air-conditioning systems and many other inconveniences is then directed at ticket inspectors and counter staff.

Frustration is also growing among passengers. The clashes have not yet escalated into violence, but the anti-MÁV sentiment is becoming increasingly palpable,

says János Meleg.

UPDATE – MÁV’s reponse

“At the moment, only 5.8 percent of our colleagues have worked more than 200 hours of overtime, so the framework is far from being exhausted,” mfor.hu quotes MÁV as saying.

The railway company wants to provide its services not by increasing overtime but by increasing the number of drivers. In parallel with its ongoing recruitment, MÁV runs training courses every year, usually 12-14 times a year. This year, a total of 13 driver training courses have been planned, with a total of 325 trainees.