railway
Budapest transport ticket costs increased, traffic changes affecting even ‘party tram’
We must pay significantly more for a single ticket if we want to use Budapest’s public transport system. Furthermore, traffic will change due to tram nr 4-6 not commuting during this weekend, and Nyugati railway station’s subway system will be closed to the public.
According to nlc.hu, BKK, Budapest’s public transport company, increased single ticket prices on Friday. That means we have to pay HUF 450 (EUR 1.17) instead of HUF 350, a considerable rise. Moreover, single tickets bought on the spot will cost HUF 600 (EUR 1.56) instead of HUF 450. The upsurge affects the block of 10 tickets as well, which costs HUF 4,000 (EUR 10.4) from yesterday.
BKK had not increased its prices since 2011. It even reduced the costs of passes in 2013. Since then, only the ticket prices for the airport express 100E went up twice this year. Gergely Karácsony, Budapest’s mayor, said the price increase was compulsory to maintain the safety of the capital’s public transport system. Old single tickets (bought for the lower price) will expire on 31 August 2024. HERE you can find the current Budapest public transport prices.
Read also:
- Toll rules to be changed, more toll roads in Hungary – Read more in THIS article
- Significantly higher fuel prices expected from next January
Running competition, party tram and Nyugati railway station
Meanwhile, BKK announced they would carry out maintenance on tram line nr 4-6 in Budapest. That line is also known as the capital’s party tram line since it commutes on Budapest’s Grand Boulevard and connects multiple popular bars, restaurants, hotels and pubs. Therefore, tourists and students prefer to use those trams in the evening.
Due to maintenance work on Margit Boulevard (Buda), trams will commute only between South Buda and Jászai Mari tér stations this weekend. Based on index.hu, between the Széll Kálmán Square and Nyugati railway station, you may use tram replacement buses. From Sunday night to Monday morning trams will cease operation, and buses will carry passengers on the entire line. The buses will stop at the bus stations instead of the tram stations.
There will be a running competition in Budapest this weekend, changing traffic and public transport. The restrictions concern districts 1, 2, 5, and 11. The Generali Night Run kicks off this evening and follows a route including the Buda Castle and the Várkert Bazaar. Furthermore, from today 6 AM Lánchíd Street, and from today 2 PM the Várkert embankment and the tram lines will be closed until Sunday early morning.
Budapest’s main railway station, Nyugati, will close its underpasses after this weekend, MÁV wrote. The restriction will start on 4 September, and MÁV shared a map where passengers can enter and leave the station. Here it is:
Hungarian railway development: important phase inaugurated
The first phase of the railway infastructure development linked to Debrecen’s Northwest Economic Zone has been completed, so the second phase of the project can begin, which will lead to the creation of one of the largest intermodal terminals in Eastern Europe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday.
The foreign ministry quoted Szijjártó as saying that Debrecen had become an important global hub of the automotive industry, where around HUF 1,000 billion (EUR 3.5 billion) worth of investments are currently underway. He noted that BMW was moving the focus of its future electromobility strategy here and Europe’s largest electric battery factory is also being built in Debrecen.
He said the government decided to upgrade the Füzesabony and the Balmazújváros railway lines over two phases from HUF 130 billion (EUR 343.1 million), the stations will be modernised, new ones will be built and the line will be electrified. This will create a direct connection between the Northwest Economic Zone of Debrecen and the main railway transport lines, he said.
Szijjártó said the first phase, worth HUF 65 billion (EUR 171.6), has now been completed.
“We are not only developing freight traffic and making it possible for BMW to transport 70 percent of the cars it produces here by rail, but we are also providing faster transport between Debrecen and the surrounding settlements, making public transport more attractive and protecting the environment,” he said.
The railway upgrades will be followed by road developments, upgrading the city’s water network and other community investments, the minister added.
Szijjártó said Hungary is one of the most successful countries in the global race for investments, confirming that the infrastructural developments, which are necessary for Hungary to remain attractive to investors, will continue in the future.
Read also:
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:
Rail services around Budapest to undergo major changes
According to the Ministry of Construction and Transport, the government decided to launch a total of 24 projects in July. The extensive plans include industrial park investments, within the framework of the construction of a railway loading terminal in Dunakeszi next year.
Rural towns as beneficiaries?
The government decided to launch a total of 24 projects in July, which will benefit the following rural towns as well:
- Debrecen
- Iváncsa
- Dunakeszi
- Zalaegerszeg
- Nyíregyháza
- Kecskemét
Rail services undergo changes in Dunakeszi
Permits for construction as well as the reconstruction and demolition of the structures present on the line between the Dunakeszi-Gyártelep stop and the industrial area must be drawn up, the tender documentation must be compiled and building permits must be obtained before any work can commence. The exact locations of the industrial area, including the loading areas suitable for railway cars, are yet to be determined. Shortly afterwards, the railway facilities, the affected utility replacements, the railway loading dock and the road connections between the already operational and related industrial facilities will be planned out.
According to preliminary plans, there will also be a transit station at the Dunakeszi-Gyártelep stop, and the Sólyom Street underpass will be renovated. At the stop, the platform will be modernised and made barrier-free, the passenger traffic facilities will be repaired and a new passenger information system will be established.
Nyíregyháza to see significant railway investment
A significant railway investment project will also begin in Nyíregyháza, which aims at establishing a fixed-track connection to the expansion of the industrial park in order to ensure greener transport in the area bounded by the 113 railway line from the north and the M3 highway from the south. The project is based on the transport concept laid out by the Nyíregyháza municipality, based on which a railway loading terminal will be built between the industrial park and the modified Railway 113 route.
The primary objective of the project is to improve the transport network of the Nyíregyházi Industrial Park. Additionally, it also aims to facilitate railway loading and transport needs and technologies following the steps of determining the location and required size of the railway loader and examining the railway accessibility.
Hungarian railway timetable changes on several lines, new direct connection between two important towns
The Hungarian Railway Company, MÁV, is modifying the timetable on 11 lines, the railway company shared.
Typically, the timetable of some trains will be changed in the early morning and in the evening and night on the Győr, Székesfehérvár, Pusztaszabolcs, Szob, Cegléd and Szeged lines. Some trains on the Kaposvár-Siófok, Eger-Szilvásvárad, Miskolc-Ózd and Kiskunfélegyháza-Orosháza lines will also be affected.
MÁV stressed that with developments, MÁV-Start has created a direct connection between Debrecen and Eger,
Telex reports. From next Monday, the InterRegio service will be launched with air-conditioned multiple units, with 7 pairs of trains per day. The trains will cover the distance in 2.5 hours.
The first trains from Debrecen to Eger will depart at 4:39 AM and 6:59 AM, and then run every two hours between 8:59 AM and 4:59 PM. The first train from Eger departs at 6:28 AM and will then run every two hours between 8:42 AM and 6:42 PM. The timetable of several trains on the line will also change to coincide with the start of the InterRegio services, MÁV said.
The announcement also mentioned that the timetable of several Volánbus services in the Érd and Biatorbágy area will change.
In the case of the buses on the Budapest-Diósd-Érd route, the alignment of the Százhalombatta services with the railway timetable will be done in Érd instead of Százhalombatta. Thus, the transfer between bus and train will make the accessibility from Százhalombatta to the capital city more convenient.
In Biatorbágy, a new educational institution will be opened, where from September this year almost 180 students will be affected by the journey to and from the surrounding villages. The modified timetable was prepared with the involvement of the municipalities concerned and the school, MÁV said.
Hungarian public transport companies ensure you get home smoothly after Sziget Festival
The relevant statement was shared by the MÁV-Volán Group, the Hungarian company responsible for public train and bus traffic.
The statement published on mavcsoport.hu says that both branches expect an increased traffic load in the next two days after the closing day of Europe’s largest pop festival, Budapest’s Sziget. Therefore, they will add more carriages to the Eurocity trains commuting between Budapest and Vienna. Furthermore, Citadella Intercity to Ljubljana will also operate with additional carriages.
If it’s necessitated, MÁV also promised to launch KISS trains between Budapest and Hegyeshalom, Hungary’s main border crossing to Austria. Said trains will depart from Keleti Railway Station with a scheduled stop at Kelenföld Station. Moreover, MÁV will employ more staff to provide information to festivalgoers travelling home from Budapest.
Read also:
- Sziget Festival in trouble: government office investigation over LGBTQ video
- VIDEO: Government will shut down Sziget Festival due to LGBTQ propaganda?
Train, bus, suburban railway, HÉV takes you home after Sziget
Meanwhile, MÁV-HÉV will also increase its capacities in Budapest to help people leave the venue of the festival, the Hajógyári Island. Trains will leave every ten minutes towards downtown, even at nighttime. In the direction of Szentendre, that will be 60 minutes since traffic will be considerably lower. Furthermore, the HÉV security crew will do its utmost best to help passengers navigate through Budapest’s transport network. The modified schedule will remain in effect until 2pm today. You may use HÉV trains in the direction of downtown with your Sziget CityPASS by Budapest Card. You can also plan your journey with the BudapestGO app. However, if you’re heading towards Szentendre, you have to purchase additional tickets on the MÁV app or in the ticket offices of MÁV-Start and BKK.
Travellers aiming towards Austria might want to consider other options than Railjets too, since this high-speed rail service operates with limited number of seats. MÁV recommends intercity trains to Szombathely and Sopron as well as the suburban S10 train.
Crazy cheap train and bus tickets in August in Hungary
The Hungarian state railways MÁV will introduce significant discounts, valid during the time of the World Athletics Championships, starting on 19 August in Budapest.
According to 444.hu, you can buy the VB2023 return ticket in advance, which allows you to travel from all corners of Hungary to Budapest during the World Athletics Championships (19-27 August). The discount applies both for MÁV-Start and GYSEV trains as well as Volán buses. You can purchase the special pass in the ticket offices, the vending machines or in the MÁV app. Furthermore, you can get your pass in the ticket offices of Volánbusz or directly from the driver when boarding an interurban bus. However, keep in mind that it will only be valid for second-class train journeys.
If you wish to travel first class, you will be required to pay the price difference. That goes for trains with seat reservation. Moreover, you also have to pay the price difference (complimentary ticket) if travelling on buses to get the upgraded service.
Read also:
- What to know about the upcoming World Athletics Championships
- Traffic changes due to World Athletics Championships Budapest – Read more HERE
Railway lines will reopen in Hungary?
The opposition Socialists on Friday called on minister of construction and transport János Lázár to reverse the recent closure of numerous branch railway lines.
Deputy party leader László Varga told an online press conference that a government decision to discontinue passenger transport on ten secondary lines from August made no sense and hurt rural communities. Local residents, professional organisations, local council representatives and mayors have protested against the move which had caused “serious problems to affected locals”, he added.
Varga added that the decision broke past promises of the ruling Fidesz party which campaigned in 2010 to reopen railway lines closed “as a result of the global crisis”. He said the Socialists had received information indicating that the ministry was considering discontinuing services on additional lines. Rail is the most sustainable and environmentally friendly form of transport, he said, adding that instead of closing down lines, a comprehensive railway development programme should be implemented.
Changes in Budapest-Slovenia railway timetables
Passengers travelling by train from Budapest to Slovenia should expect changes due to the heavy rains and flooding that hit the country, the Hungarian State Railways, MÁV, announced.
According to MÁV, based on the Slovenian Railways, the following changes are expected.
- All international trains are in service. On the Celje-Ljubljana section, replacement buses are used for part or all of the journey.
- Occasionally passengers may have to change trains at Hodos and/or Maribor. Travel times will increase significantly on all routes.
- The Citadella international daytime train typically runs between Budapest and Celje, from where you have to take a replacement bus.
- One of the trains of the Istria international overnight train remained in Ljubljana and is now running between Koper/Rijeka-Ljubljana. The other train will run between Budapest and Hodos-Maribor-Celje, depending on the situation. Passengers who have booked a sleeper or berth should expect to be unable to travel the night as per the service they have booked.
- Bicycle transport is not possible due to the replacement buses.
Travelling to Slovenia? HERE is the story of 38 Hungarian tourists stuck in Slovenia due to the extreme weather conditions.
Railway traffic between Budapest and Vienna changes significantly in August
Due to maintenance works, the Austrian state railways will modify railway traffic between Budapest and Vienna between 12 and 31 August.
According to portfolio.hu, the timetable of the trains commuting between the two astonishing Central European capitals will change considerably. The reason is that the Austrian state railways decided to carry out some scheduled railway maintenance in the second half of this month.
Based on a statement of Mávinform, most trains will depart towards Vienna earlier than now and they will come back from the Austrian capital later. Moreover, their route will be shorter. The changes will affect the timetable of some domestic trains as well.
Railjets connecting Budapest and Vienna will depart from Budapest-Kelenföld railway station. They will begin their journey half an hour earlier. Furthermore, the Kálmán Imre EuroNight train will depart half an hour earlier at 8.10 PM from Keleti railway station.
Railjets and Kálmán Imre EuroNight coming from Vienna will depart from the Austrian capital thirty minutes later than their current timetable. Furthermore, their final stop will be Budapest-Kelenföld instead of the Budapest-Déli or Budapest-Keleti railway stations.
Changes during the weekends
Between 13 and 15 August and 19 and 21 August, the Railjet from Vienna will depart 1 hour earlier, while the Kálmán Imre EuroNight will begin its journey 1.5 hours later. You may find further details about the changes in THIS article, but unfortunately, it is only available in Hungarian.
We wrote HERE about a new railway development program János Lázár, the minister for transport and construction, submitted to the government lately. However, the project is a ten-year-long one so it will not affect the aforementioned timetable changes. The program is much needed: we wrote HERE that the MÁV-Volán group has admitted 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.
PHOTOS: Budapest’s iconic railway station renewed
Budapest’s Nyugati (western) railway station is one of the symbols of the Hungarian capital. It is being renewed, and the project just reached an important milestone. Below, you may check out some photos.
According to the Hungarian state railway’s official Facebook page, the subcontractor dismantled the scaffolding and the protective roof from the facade tower of Budapest’s Nyugati railway station. The scaffolding was placed there ages ago because the facade was completely renewed. The project concerned the building from its floor to its roof.
Based on MÁV, one of Budapest’s most beautiful public buildings’ renovation was carried out by the cooperation of engineers, industrial alpinists and more than fifty restorers. As a result, the building can shine in its original grandeur and be preserved for the next generations.
Compared to other parts of the building, the main facade tower was made with richly decorated ornamental tin elements. Furthermore, it is framed with a crown moulding. The roof is made of natural slate, its corners are shielded with palmette leaf decorations.
The renovation will continue and the tower will be ready by this year-end with its twin on the other side of the station, which is still scaffolded.
We wrote about the reopening of the grandiose marble hall of the railway station HERE. Meanwhile, you can check out a video made before the renovation of the Nyugati railway station in THIS article.
Here is what everybody waited for: a railway development program
The Construction and Transport Ministry will submit a ten-year railway development programme to the government, János Lázár, the minister of construction and transport, said in a radio programme on Thursday.
The aim is to upgrade the aging track network and the rolling stock step by step, focusing on important tasks, the minister said. This requires investments worth up to 6,000 billion forints (EUR 15.4bn), which could be covered from European Union funds or by borrowing on money markets, Lázár said.
Lázár noted that the number of passengers dropped significantly during the pandemic, but demand for public transport increased considerably in the past six months. In 2022, the government decided to concentrate resources in rail transport around the capital, and this requires workforce. In addition to ensuring accident-free traffic, the reallocation of human resources is partly the reason why rail traffic has been suspended on ten branch lines from August, he said.
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.
Hungarian rail transport in danger: MÁV struggles to serve traffic
A week ago the news broke that the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) is closing 10 railway lines in Hungary. The lines concerned will be regional ones, not main ones. MÁV justified this step citing labour and vehicle shortage. According to Dávid Vitézy, former state secretary for transport, the Orbán government is doing something with the closure of the railway lines that it fought against in opposition.
10 lines to be closed, 8 could be saved
According to Dávid Vitézy, 8 of the 10 closed lines could be saved. Closing rail lines is hardly a way to save money anyway, Mr Vitézy told hvg.hu. He believes there is no chance of competition for passengers in the domestic rail passenger market in the next decade.
MÁV admitted that it was unable to provide the public service ordered and paid for from it.
“The closure of the 10 branch lines is sad not only because eight of them could probably be saved, because they are viable and have a vision, or because it contradicts the narrative of Minister János Lázár, who promises rural development with the slogan ‘now it’s time for the countryside’, but also because it is true for the railway network that if we only maintain the arteries, the limbs will die”, the former state secretary added.
It’s getting increasingly hard for MÁV to serve traffic
He said that the total savings planned to be achieved by the current line closures do not even reach the salary of a MÁV director per line in a month. Mr Vitézy also told hvg.hu that he believes MÁV is finding it increasingly difficult to serve traffic throughout the country.
There is no public procurement for new vehicles. The old ones have been withdrawn due to the worsening economic situation. What is more, many of the ICs are running with missing or unair-conditioned, dilapidated coaches. We wrote HERE about how much MÁV struggles with ICs and how it may not even survive this summer.
What could be the solution?
Dávid Vitézy underscored that he sees the solution to the problems in marketisation and privatisation. In his view, the state should put MÁV out to tender to private companies and gradually reduce the monopoly of the state railway company if it is unable to provide an adequate level of service.
According to him, the market is changing all over Europe. It is not the Hungarian state-socialist MÁV model that is typical. In other countries, state operators only provide the railway track and fix the tariff level for the public service, while several operators compete for the provision of services.
50% discount on railway tickets in Hungary – here is how you can get them, UPDATED
The Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) announced a 50 percent discount on railway tickets to Lake Balaton. Here is how and when you can buy them.
According to Pénzcentrum, the 41st Lidl Cross-Balaton Swim will be organised this Sunday. The sports event was postponed from today because of the weather forecast talking about bad weather, strong winds, and a high chance for rainstorms at the weekend.
Those who would like to travel to Lake Balaton because of the event can buy a return ticket for trains with a 50 percent price reduction, according to Hungary’s main railway service provider, MÁV. One can travel to Révfülöp with the ticket. The program is part of the Pentathlon, so you need to get a stamp on your ticket at Lake Balaton. Organisers decided to postpone the event until tomorrow because of the Hungarian Meteorological Service’s (OMSZ) weather forecast.
The ticket is valid for travel between 21 July at 0.00 and 23 July at noon. To get the return train, you need to validate your ticket at the event’s venue. Organisers will take back the participants from Balatonboglár with ferries. Those remaining at the lake after the cross-Balaton swim may buy Balaton 24 and 72 tickets allowing the holder to make unlimited journeys around Lake Balaton.
MÁV will attach additional carriages to some of its trains. For example, the Kék Hullám (Blue Wave) Intercity beginning its journey from Budapest’s Déli pályaudvar (Southern Railway Station) at 7.05 AM will get two more carriages. The train will arrive at 9.43 AM at Révfülöp, so the travel time is less than three hours. The Csabai Tekergő (8.01 AM, Budapest-Kelenföld) will get one more carriage. It will start back from Révfülöp at 5.03 PM to Békéscsaba.
The Balaton Intercity (6.35 AM, Déli pályaudvar) and the Tópart Intercity (7.35 AM, Déli pályaudvar) will also receive two additional carriages to cope with the increased passenger number. The former’s final station is Keszthely, while the latter’s is Nagykanizsa, but both stop in Balatonboglár.
UPDATE: Hungarian President to participate in Balaton cross swimming
President Katalin Novák will swim across Lake Balaton at the 41st Balaton Cross Swimming. Organisers have said that some 11,000 amateur athletes are expected to compete at one of the three competitions. Novák will swim the 5.2km stretch between Révfülöp and Balatonboglár, they said.
High-speed trains will connect Budapest and Bucharest? – UPDATED
PM Viktor Orbán started his visit to Romania in Bucharest this year. Last year, the Romanian prime minister harshly criticised his Hungarian counterpart’s speech at Tusványos.
On Wednesday, Orbán wrote their meeting was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Here is the post:
According to hvg.hu, the Romanian prime minister drew Orbán’s attention to the importance of supporting Ukraine. Furthermore, Ciolacu thanked Orbán for supporting Romania’s Schengen accession. Several Western countries, including Austria do not back the idea. If it were unsuccessful this year, the 2024 Hungarian EU presidency could mark a positive milestone in the project.
Orbán and Ciolacu discussed establishing a high-speed train system between Budapest and Bucharest. The speed limit would be 160 km/h instead of the general 200 km/h, but still, it could help Romanians and Hungarians and develop economic ties between the two countries significantly. However, there is no money for the project. According to Maszol, a Hungarian newspaper in Romania, the railway line would cost more than EUR 7 billion. Meanwhile, bridges, tunnels and the operation system would add billions to that sum. Therefore, the Budapest-Bucharest fast train is only the fantasy of the two leaders.
UPDATE: Orbán is thankful
Accorrding to MTI, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Saturday sent a letter to Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, thanking him for recent talks in Bucharest and for ensuring the “smooth operation” of the Balvanyos Summer University in Baile Tusnad, in central Romania, the PM’s press chief said.
“I would like to thank you for meeting me in Bucharest. I thank you and the Romanian authorities for ensuring the security of the summer university in Baile Tusnad, and that my speech could proceed peacefully and smoothly today,” Orbán said in the letter. He also pledged support and cooperation in the issues discussed during the Bucharest meeting, Bertalan Havasi said.
Orbán met ethnic Hungarian leaders at Bálványos Summer University
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his deputy Zsolt Semjen held talks at a working lunch with ethnic Hungarian leaders during the 32nd Bálványos Summer University at Baile Tusnad (Tusnádfürdő), in central Romania, on Friday, Orbán’s press chief said. The talks focusing on current issues of Hungary’s national strategy were attended by Hunor Kelemen, president of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania, Krisztián Forró, head of the Party of the Hungarian Community, István Pásztor, head of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, Róbert Jankovics, head of the Democratic Union of Hungarians of Croatia, Orbán Dusan, head of the Hungarian National Community of Municipalities of Prekmurje Council, János Nagy, state secretary heading the Prime Minister’s Office, Zsolt Németh, head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, MEP and ruling Fidesz deputy leader Kinga Gál, and MEP Andrea Bocskor, Bertalan Havasi said.
Cities where you can get to cheaper by train than by plane from Budapest
Greenpeace conducted a survey, quite an interesting one at that. The NGO compared the plane and train prices of 112 European journeys. The result was that the price of travelling by train is four times higher than travelling by plane. However, there are exceptions, and many routes starting from Budapest are among those.
According to turizmus.com, in some cases, the difference can be up to 30 times, for example, between London and Barcelona. Train companies are unable to compete with plane tickets costing merely GBP 11. However, as the Independent pointed out, “swapping planes for trains could save more than 450,000 tones of harmful emissions.”
Anyway, only 23 of the analysed 112 routes were almost always cheaper by train than by plane, which is quite a low number. In six cases, there were no direct flights between the two cities. Interestingly, several train routes that are cheaper than their flight counterparts start from Budapest.
A nice train ride somewhere in Hungary:
Travel to Prague from Budapest by train: it is worth it
Among them is the Budapest-Prague journey (Ryanair), which was always cheaper by train in 2022. Despite that, more than 100,000 people travelled by plane between the two astonishing Central European capitals. In the case of the Budapest-Berlin train journey, out of the nine days analysed, train was cheaper on six days. Budapest-Bucharest was always cheaper by train. Interestingly, the Budapest-Paris, Budapest-Venice and Budapest-Brussels directions were 12 times more expensive by train than by plane. The Budapest-Brussels route showed the second highest price difference in the analysis, preceded only by the London-Barcelona, the London-Bratislava and Madrid-Brussels directions.
HERE you may check out Greenpeace’s report.
Read HERE about the luxury train rides from Budapest to Paris and London on the Orient Express. Meanwhile, HERE is a crossover article analysing how an Austrian train development project will make it easier for people to travel from Budapest to exotic destinations like the USA, Canada or the Far East.
Huge shutdown coming to MÁV: Application, website, ticket offices affected
The sale of railway tickets will be suspended until early dawn on Wednesday, the Hungarian State Railways, MÁV, reported.
Due to system maintenance, rail ticket sales will not be available on Wednesday from 0:00 to 3:00 in the timetable planner (Elvira), the MÁV application, ticket machines, on trains (ticket inspectors) and ticket offices, Mávinform said on its Facebook page.
Those buying a county or country ticket can find out in advance about the sales points on the orszagberlet.hu website, they said.