Hungarian railways in huge trouble, MÁV is decades behind
The MÁV-Volán group has admitted that the railway company’s rolling stock and tracks are ageing and the air conditioning is not working. Experts say a change of mindset is easy and will pay for itself in 15-30 years.
Hungarian railways in trouble
“The Balassagyarmat-Losonc railway line has lived 127 years. The 127-year chapter in the history of Balassagyarmat and the Ipoly Valley has come to an end,” reads the text on the last carriage running between the two towns. But the Hungarian railways are dying and in difficulty in many other places too.
MÁV is using buses instead of trains to serve passengers on 10 regional railway lines, citing a shortage of vehicles and passengers. This means longer journey times in many cases.
The MÁV-Volán group told 24.hu that due to the lack of power, many developments and vehicle purchases are not possible. The average age of the rolling stock reaches 40-50 years, even though they have modernised their fleet with more than 200 new vehicles in the last decade.
“The railway company has an ageing fleet and an ageing track: servicing and maintenance alone will not keep it competitive. Unfortunately, the maintenance of the existing fleet is also made considerably more difficult by the war in our neighbourhood: in many cases, it is impossible to obtain spare parts or it costs much more money and time than before. The collapse of supply chains and difficulties in the supply of materials have also accelerated the deterioration of track conditions: the wheel and bogie failures of our rolling stock are largely caused by the condition of the track, while the time and cost of procuring these very parts has increased many times over because of the war,” MÁV says.
MÁV has also admitted that only a quarter of its trains have air conditioning. Many trainsets do not even have normal modern air conditioning, but air-conditioning equipment that does almost nothing to cool the air above 30-35 degrees Celsius.
What is the solution, is there a way out?
According to former State Secretary for Transport Dávid Vitézy, transport policy is stuck in the 20th century. “While in the eastern part of the country, motorways with low utilisation are still being built with Hungarian taxpayer and budget funds, the transport government is closing down the regional railway network,” Vitézy said.
The expert said transport development should be shifted from roads to railways. Rail is the most sustainable mode of transport for both freight and passenger transport. In his view, it is untenable that MÁV-Start just throws up its hands, announces that it is unable to provide the service and “the government slavishly accepts this”, while GYSEV, for example, can operate innovatively and provide a good service with the same amount of money, napi.hu writes.
Vitézy said there is a huge backlog in the rail fleet. In particular, a new fleet of InterCity trains, new suburban trains and a new fleet of regional service trains would be needed.
Regional living Hungarians – you STILL support that this Prime Minister – is Your and this Country’s – FUTURE ???
Regional Hungary, out-lying villages, towns and Cities – your VOTES – in your MILLIONS – have KEEP this Political Party – Fidesz – its Leader, this Prime Minister – Victor Orban and his Government – in POWER – over 14 plus years.
WRONGFULNESS of voting – what you are getting in RETURN – Laughable and Disgraceful.
We are seeing, worsening as I write, the DESTRUCTION – collapsing of our country – the regional out-lying villages, towns and Cities – being RAVAGED by the policies – Financial & Economic, that this Prime Minister and Government have BURIED us in.
Your vote – your OWNERSHIP through the votes of REGIONAL Hungary – the BLAME rests with YOU, and it will WORSEN.
Hilarious. MAV blames the war in Ukraine for its’ inability to maintain its’ system. Hungary is the only country in Europe where the government has told every Fidesz politician and every government department to say that whatever problem or failure they have its’ the war in Ukraine that is to blame. If you really want to use that excuse then go a step further and blame the people who started the war and who would that be…..?
This AGAIN comes back to the incorrect PRIORITIZATION of the Government – to INVEST in the NEEDS of every day lives of Hungarians.
Victor Orban – times worsen for our country, and this FACT, of the in-correct Investments that this Government have made, over 14 years in Government, there disbursing of European Funds, the use of the taxes we pay as Hungarians, there application/use – there, as a Government INVESTMENT priorities – have a massive FAILED mark.
Transportation, the movement of it’s people, is a MAJOR category/section – within a Governments responsibilities – in its Policies – that need continuous INVESTMENT.
Freight movement, comes into this category of Transportation, which, as referred in this article, we as a country “lag” badly behind in comparison to other country’s just sighting Austria as an example, that freight movement, in and out of Austria, on there rail system is HUMONGOUS.
Prioritization – Education, Hospitals, Public Health Services, Transportation of which Rail is just (1) one component of – that through the direction this Orban led Government have taken us as a country, we are still working in 20th century and older times.
The BILLIONS of Forints needed to “rise us from the ashes” – bring us up, as a country, into the times of the 21st century, but a “figment of an imagination” – living in a dream world, as through this present Government, the place, they have bought us to – in Education, Hospitals, Public Health Services and Transportation – have not been PRIORITIZED and remain operational – in functionality resembling the 20th century and older.
Regional rail operation in Hungary, the closure of century old lines will CONTINUE.
Regional Rail line services – will be replaced by Bus Services, that comes about through decades of rail – NEGLECT – that the cost of up-grade and repair, this Orban Government, being Financially in a position all but collapsed, can’t AFFORD, and the cheaper option is Bus services.
It will worsen and ramifications through wrongful PRIORITIZATION by this Orban Government, on rail travel services into regional Hungary – will DECLINE.