Hungary has announced a national main line and urban rail investment plan worth HF3 550bn (€9.76bn) to be delivered by 2035, according to railwaygazette.com.

The Gábor Baross Railway Development Plan was unveiled on July 22 by Minister of Transport & Investment Dávid Vitézy and Prime Minister Péter Magyar at Rákospalota-Újpest station in Budapest. The site was chosen because it is currently run-down and will become the terminus of the extended metro Line M3.

The package builds on a political agreement signed between Magyar and EU President Ursula von der Leyen on May 29, following the April general election that saw the defeat of Viktor Orbán. The deal unlocks European Union funding for rail investment, subject to reforms and governance commitments by August 31.

The financing structure is already approved and divided as follows: HF1 100bn from the EU Cohesion Fund, HF950bn from the 2028-2034 EU budget, HF700bn from the National Recovery & Resilience Facility, a HF400bn European Investment Bank loan, and HF400bn through private concessions.

Early priorities include creating a national transport authority, launching a digitalisation programme, upgrading electrical substations, and modernising passenger information systems.

‘Today’s event is not just a presentation of plans, it is a work order for the ministry and MÁV to deliver until 2035, and this is all already financed,’ Vitézy said.

Rolling stock renewal and battery trains

The plan aims to rejuvenate the fleet of national operator MÁV Személyszállítási Zrt, where the average vehicle age is 43 years. A batch of 35 double-deck electric multiple-units will be procured for inter-city services on routes including Budapest Nyugati – Debrecen – Nyíregyháza – Miskolc – Budapest Keleti, Budapest – Kecskemét – Szeged, and Budapest – Pécs.

A further 42 EMUs will replace the fleet on the H5, H6 and H7 HÉV suburban rail lines serving Budapest.

HF95bn has been allocated for battery-electric multiple units and charging infrastructure. These will be deployed on the Debrecen – Füzesabony, Sárbogárd – Szekszárd – Baja, and Hatvan – Salgótarján – Somoskőújfalu lines.

National corridor upgrades

Infrastructure modernisation will focus on priority sections: Hatvan – Miskolc on the Budapest – Miskolc main line, Nagykáta – Újszász on the Budapest – Újszász – Szolnok route, Kiskunfélegyháza – Szeged on the Budapest – Szeged main line, and Almásfüzitő – Komárom on the Budapest – Győr main line.

Reconstruction of Szolnok station and several stations around Lake Balaton are also covered.

On the Budapest – Beograd main line, commissioning of the signalling system supplied by China Railway Signal & Communication is still in progress. Vitézy said full revenue services could commence in September if safety assessments by TÜV are successful.

Budapest metro, suburban rail and tram

Line M3 will be extended by two stations from Újpest-központ to Rákospalota-Újpest by 2030. Infrastructure on HÉV lines H5 (21 km), H6 (40 km) and H7 (6.7 km) will be renewed by 2030.

The Budapest – Lajosmizse – Kecskemét route will be rebuilt and electrified, allowing through trains. The Budapest – Veresegyház – Vác line will also be renewed.

The third stage of the Southern Circle railway project will be completed, including a railway flyover at Ferencváros and a new passenger station at Népliget, providing interchange to metro Line M3.

The Déli pályaudvar terminus will be modernised and the tunnel to Kelenföld rebuilt for double-deck trains.

A station will be built on the Budapest – Miskolc main line at Hungária körút, providing interchange to tram Route 1.

Three tram extensions are planned: a 2.8 km extension from Szent Gellért tér along the Buda side of the Danube to Budafoki út/Dombóvári út; a link between routes 47 and 49 at Deák Ferenc tér and Route 14 at Lehel tér; and a branch for Route 3 from Nagy Lajos király útja / Czobor utca to Göncz Árpád Városközpont on metro Line M3.

Suburban rail and tram-train projects outside Budapest

The Debrecen – Nyíregyháza main line will be upgraded by 2030 for 160 km/h operation, with two new stations in Debrecen.

Funding is pledged for a tram-train scheme extending Debrecen’s tram Route 1 north and south on main line tracks, and a tram-train line linking Kazincbarcika to Tiszaújváros via Miskolc centre.

The government also plans dedicated suburban rail operations serving Győr and Eger.