Hungarian railway company to close busy railway line because of a Debrecen battery factory
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On 19th October, MÁV will permanently close the railway line number 106 between Debrecen and Nagykereki. Although parts of the line were refurbished in recent years, passenger rail services on this section will cease due to the land requirements for the construction of CATL’s battery factory in Debrecen.
Why the line is closing
A section of line 106 had already been designated as part of the Debrecen Southern Economic Zone, where the Chinese company CATL is building its large-scale investment. The company has purchased and intends to use the railway land, so the state must dismantle the track and embankment and rehabilitate the area. This work is scheduled to begin in October, and from 13th October, trains will no longer run on this line, with buses introduced as replacements.
Replacement bus services
MÁV will run buses instead of trains, providing an average of 20 daily services from 13th October, according to Telex. The buses will follow the former railway route closely, operating from early morning until late evening. There will also be express services that skip certain stops to offer faster journeys.
Compared with the trains’ previous 100-minute travel time, the bus timetables are:
- Services stopping at all stations: 78 minutes
- Services that skip Derecske: 72 minutes
- Buses on the shortest route: 56 minutes
Plans for the new railway line
The construction of a new railway line is still in the planning stage. Currently, a public procurement process is underway for the design of the section between Debrecen and Berettyóújfalu. This new line will eventually link Debrecen and Berettyóújfalu and run roughly parallel to the current line between Debrecen and Sáránd. Without the new line, residents in the affected region will have to rely on buses for several years.
Additionally, the government plans to develop a tram-train service between Debrecen and Nagyvárad, but it is not yet clear if this will follow the existing or the proposed new route.
Issues raised about the project
There have been several criticisms regarding the line’s closure. Dávid Vitézy criticised the previous decision-makers in the Fidesz government, especially János Lázár’s ministry, in a Facebook post for not continuing the necessary planning. He argued that industrial interests from China were prioritised over the needs of local residents and public rail services, as reported by Átlátszó.