Years-long railway closure in Hungary: locals fear for their homes as new route planned for battery plant and airport expansion
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The 106 railway line, Hungary’s second busiest regional route, will be shut down indefinitely from October 19. While the government promises a new track, the plan could displace residents in Debrecen’s Szepes district, as the new railway would cut through residential areas.
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A “temporary” closure that may last for years
On October 19, the trains will stop running between Debrecen and Nagykereki, marking the suspension of the country’s second most-used regional railway line. Operated by MÁV, the 106 line serves thousands of daily commuters from nearby towns who travel to Debrecen for work or school. The official reason for the closure is the construction of a new railway route, but the details remain uncertain, and even the design phase has not yet started, according to Telex.
The Debrecen–Nagykereki line was fully renovated just a few years ago through a joint effort of local municipalities and the European Union, iho.hu wrote. Despite that, the government decided to close the line “indefinitely,” citing the expansion of Debrecen Airport and the nearby industrial zone, where Chinese battery manufacturer CATL plans to build another factory. The rail track runs directly through this growing industrial area and will soon be in the way of large-scale developments.
Industrial priorities over public transport
According to the Ministry of Construction and Transport, the current line’s route will be replaced by a new one that will eventually connect Debrecen with Berettyóújfalu and, later, with Oradea (Nagyvárad) in Romania. The planned track would allow trains to reach 160 km/h, matching European standards.
However, critics point out that this project has been repeatedly delayed. The government knew as early as 2022 that the existing line would have to be moved, yet the public procurement for planning was only announced in May 2024.
Even if work started immediately, experts say the new railway could not be ready before 2028.
In the meantime, local commuters must rely on slower replacement buses, while residents fear that the “temporary suspension” may become permanent. As a MÁV employee told 24.hu:
