Hungary’s ambitious Baross Gábor Railway Development Plan can now move into its implementation phase after the government’s review of the Integrated Transport Development Operational Programme (IKOP Plus) was published in the Hungarian Gazette (Magyar Közlöny).
According to Dávid Vitézy, the development plan will make more than HUF 2,000 billion (approximately EUR 5.5 billion) in railway and other rail-based transport investment available to projects across the country.
The former transport state secretary and current transport and investment minister announced the development on Facebook, saying the publication of the government decision means that projects funded largely through EU resources can officially get under way.
HUF 3,550 billion railway development programme
The Baross Gábor Railway Development Plan is designed to renew Hungary’s rail and other fixed-track transport infrastructure over the next ten years, with a total budget of HUF 3,550 billion.
One of its main sources of funding is the EU-backed IKOP Plus programme. According to Vitézy, HUF 1,406 billion is available for transport developments during the current EU funding cycle, while a further HUF 950 billion has now been committed for projects in the next funding period.
This means that more than HUF 2,000 billion in railway development projects can now move towards actual implementation, he said. Vitézy also highlighted the role of negotiations with Brussels, claiming that Hungary had secured EUR 16.4 billion in EU development funding.
Major railway projects planned across Hungary
The programme covers a wide range of projects, from suburban railways around Budapest to major railway lines and stations across the country.
Among the planned developments are upgrades to the Budapest–Veresegyház–Vác and Budapest–Lajosmizse–Kecskemét railway lines, as well as the modernisation of Budapest’s HÉV suburban railway network.
Preparatory work is also set to begin on the reconstruction of Debrecen’s main railway station, while the Debrecen–Nyíregyháza railway line will be upgraded. The main railway lines towards Miskolc and Szeged are planned to be developed for speeds of up to 160 km/h, while preparations will begin for the reconstruction of the main line towards Pécs.
New intermodal transport hubs are also planned, alongside the modernisation of numerous regional railway lines and stations. The programme could also pave the way for the extension of Metro Line 3 in Budapest and further development of the city’s interconnected tram network on both the Pest and Buda sides.
Read more about the development plan on Daily News Hungary: Hungary unveils EUR 10 billion railway modernisation: New trains, airport rail link and faster journeys promised!
New trains and HÉV vehicles also planned
The Baross Gábor Plan is not limited to infrastructure. It also includes the procurement of new InterCity trains and HÉV vehicles, station renovations, railway track reconstruction and the elimination of speed restrictions caused by poor track conditions.
New battery-powered multiple units are also planned for some non-electrified regional railway lines connecting larger county capitals. Vitézy cited potential services towards Salgótarján and Szekszárd as examples. The plan also aims to strengthen international railway connections and improve rail transport in Budapest, its metropolitan area and major regional cities.
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Railway projects can now officially begin
Vitézy described the Baross Gábor Railway Development Plan as a nationwide programme, covering areas from the Budapest metropolitan region and the Great Plain to western Hungary. The publication of the IKOP Plus review in the Hungarian Gazette means that the projects are no longer merely plans on paper: their implementation can now officially begin.
Vitézy said the developments could put Hungary’s rail and fixed-track transport system back on a development path after years of decline.
