Significant delays: Train speed limited on Budapest-Vienna line due to poor track condition

Due to the poor condition of the track, a temporary speed limit had to be introduced on the section between Biatorbágy and Szárliget. This could extend the journey time by up to 20 minutes, the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) admitted. This section represents one sixth of the Budapest-Vienna main line.

Deteriorating track conditions

Journey times on the Budapest-Hegyeshalom-Rajka line have increased significantly following the introduction of a speed limit on the Biatorbágy-Szárliget section from Thursday. The line is one of Hungary’s most important main railway lines, line 1. MÁV was asked about the reasons by hvg.hu. The portal was told that on this section, “the age of the track has exceeded its design life several times over”.

They also wrote that “the deterioration has been accelerated by the heavy rains this summer and the heat of recent days.”

The only way to guarantee traffic safety

According to MÁV, they have a detailed plan to solve the problem. The company is working with the Ministry of Transport to resolve the situation. In the meantime, temporarily, “as in the case of overheating of the rails on other sections of the Hungarian fixed rail network, additional speed restrictions are the only way to guarantee traffic safety”.

Therefore, on the Budapest-Győr-Hegyeshalom line between Biatorbágy and Szárliget, a temporary speed limit of 100 km/h has been introduced on both tracks. This may increase the running time of trains by 5-10, sometimes 10-20 minutes, MÁV admitted.

Noone maintained the track

The NGO Közlekedő Tömeg also wrote about the state of the main railway line 1 and the speed reductions. They stressed that “Vienna will soon not only be impossible to catch up with, but also to reach by train”. They also cite the 29-kilometre Biatorbágy-Szárliget section as an example, which represents one sixth of the Budapest-Vienna main line.

They say that, according to their information, no one has thought to maintain the railway track here for the last 40 years. Thus, the wooden bolts that fixed the rails to the reinforced concrete ‘sleepers’ have simply crumbled away.

In the video below, you can virtually travel along the entire Line 1 (Budapest Keleti – Hegyeshalom) in 4K resolution:

Read also:

• Significantly higher fuel prices expected from next January
• Drastic rise in speeding fines from September in Hungary