Giant company to build train manufacturing facility in Hungary

Hungary’s railway sector is set to receive a major boost as Swiss rail giant Stadler prepares to establish a new train manufacturing and maintenance facility in the country, linked to the modernisation of the national railway operator Hungarian State Railways’ (MÁV) rolling stock.

A new chapter in Hungary’s economy?

The development follows the Hungarian government’s decision to purchase 93 used Stadler GTW electric multiple units, a deal officially announced in mid-January by Minister of Construction and Transport János Lázár. The agreement, concluded at the end of last year, goes far beyond a simple train procurement and introduces a new industrial dimension to Hungary’s rail infrastructure, writes VG.hu.

According to international rail industry journal Railway Gazette, the acquisition is valued at EUR 230 million (around HUF 97–100 billion) and includes a 15-year maintenance commitment from Stadler. The 93 trains will provide approximately 14,000 seats, increasing MÁV’s current passenger capacity by around 10 per cent.

The GTW units, originally built between 2001 and 2005 for Thurbo, a subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways, are being repurchased by Stadler and refurbished on behalf of the MÁV Group, which will ultimately become the fleet’s owner. The trains are between 15 and 20 years old, but are considered to be in good technical condition.

The government will add used and new trains to their fleet

Hungary will receive two different GTW variants: GTW 2/6 units, consisting of two passenger cars and a central power module, and GTW 2/8 units, featuring three passenger cars and a motor unit. As part of the refurbishment programme, the trains will be extensively modernised to meet Hungarian operational standards.

Upgrades will include new passenger information systems, onboard video surveillance, stairways adapted to Hungarian platform heights, modern onboard computers, and advanced train control systems such as Mirel and ETCS Baseline 4. The propulsion systems will also be modified, while the trains will receive new exterior livery and interior fittings in line with MÁV’s branding.

Each unit is expected to undergo a 12-week modernisation process, with work scheduled to begin at the end of 2026. While the first prototype units will be refurbished in Switzerland, Stadler has confirmed that a new facility will be built in Hungary to handle the remaining refurbishment work and long-term maintenance. The full programme will be carried out in phases, with the final trains expected to enter service by 2034.

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They are buying from China, too

The upgraded GTW trains will primarily serve regional and suburban lines around Debrecen, Nyíregyháza and Miskolc, significantly improving rail services in eastern Hungary. Alongside this project, the government is also planning the purchase of 100 brand-new motor trains from China, underlining the scale of Hungary’s rail renewal ambitions and the growing strategic importance of railway transport nationwide.