The Hungarian State Railways (, , formally MÁV Magyar Államvasutak Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság (MÁV Zrt.). The full official name of the company is MÁV-csoport () now commonly known as MÁV) is the Hungarian national railway company and the MÁV Pályaműködtetési Zrt. is the

railway infrastructure manager A railway infrastructure manager is a rail transport company or body of other type, responsible for maintaining railway infrastructure. The European Union defines it as "any body or undertaking that is responsible in particular for establishing and ...

, with subsidiaries "

MÁV Személyszállítási Zrt. The Hungarian State Railways (, , formally MÁV Magyar Államvasutak Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság (MÁV Zrt.). The full official name of the company is MÁV-csoport () now commonly known as MÁV) is the Hungarian national rail ...

" (passenger services), and "Utasellátó" (onboard catering, Utasellátó is an independent directorate of MÁV Személyszállítási Zrt.). The head office is in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

History

1846–1918

Construction of Hungary's first railway line began in the second half of 1844. The first

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

railway line was opened on 15 July 1846 between Pest and

Vác Vác (; ; ; ) is a thousand-year old city in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spelling of the name is ''Vácz''. Location Vác is located north of Budapest on the eastern bank of the Danube river, below t ...

. This date is regarded as the birth date of the Hungarian railways. The

Romantic poet Romantic poetry is the poetry of the Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. It involved a reaction against prevailing Neoclassical ideas of the 18th c ...

Sándor Petőfi Sándor Petőfi ( []; né Petrovics; ; ; 1 January 1823 – most likely 31 July 1849) was a Hungarian poet and Classical Liberalism, liberal revolutionary. He is considered Hungary's national poet, and was one of the key figures of the Hungari ...

rode on the first train and wrote a poem predicting that rails would connect Hungary like blood vessels in the human body. After the failed revolution, the existing lines were nationalized by the Austrian State and new lines were built. As a result of the

Austro-Sardinian War The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Sardinian War, the Austro-Sardinian War, the Franco-Austrian War, or the Italian War of 1859 (Italian: ''Seconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana''; German: ''Sardinischer Krieg''; French: ...

in the late 1850s, all these lines were sold to Austrian private companies. During this time the company of

Ábrahám Ganz Ábrahám Ganz (born as Abraham Ganz; 6 November 1814 – 15 December 1867) was a Swiss people, Swiss-born Iron founder, iron manufacturer, machine and technical engineer, entrepreneur, father of Ganz Works. He was the founder and the manager of t ...

invented a method of " crust-casting" to produce cheap yet sturdy iron railway wheels, which greatly contributed to railway development in Central Europe. Following the

Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (, ) established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, which was a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereign ...

that created the Dual Monarchy of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

, transport issues became the responsibility of the Hungarian Government, which also inherited the duty to support local railway companies. This came at a considerable cost: in 1874 8% of the annual budget went to railway company subsidies. This led the Hungarian Parliament to consider founding a State Railway. The goal was to take over and operate the Hungarian main lines. The branch lines were constructed by private companies. When the law in 1884 provided a simplified way to create railway companies many small branch line companies were founded. These, however, usually only constructed the lines, then made a contract with MÁV to operate them. Thus they also owned no locomotives or other

rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, Railroad car#Freight cars, freight and Passenger railroad car, passenger cars (or coaches) ...

. MÁV made a contract only if the line, its equipment and buildings were constructed to MÁV standards. This helped to build standard station buildings, sheds, and accessories, all to the MÁV rules. Because of relatively high prices the traffic density was considerably lower in Hungary than in other countries. To change this the

Interior Minister An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and iden ...

Gábor Baross Gábor Baross de Bellus (6 July 1848 – 8 May 1892) was a Hungarian statesman in Hungarian parliament, was born at Barossháza now Pružina near Trencsén (now Trenčín, Slovakia). He was for a time one of the professors there under Cardinal ...

, introduced the zone tariff system in 1889. This system resulted in lower prices for passenger trips and goods transport but it induced a rapid increase in both and so higher overall profits. In 1891 the Hungarian lines of the StEG were bought by the Hungarian State directly from the French owners and became MÁV lines. In 1890 most large private railway companies were nationalized as a consequence of their poor management, except the strong Austrian-owned Kaschau-Oderberg Railway (KsOd) and the Austrian-Hungarian Southern Railway (SB/DV). They also joined the zone tariff system, and remained successful until the end of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

when

collapsed. By 1910 MÁV had become one of the largest European railway companies, in terms of both its network and its finances. Its profitability, however, always lagged most Western European companies, be they publicly or privately owned. The Hungarian railway infrastructure was largely completed in these years, with a topology centred on

that still remains. By 1910, the total length of the rail networks of the Hungarian Kingdom reached , the Hungarian network linked more than 1,490 settlements. Nearly half (52%) of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's railways were built in Hungary, thus the railroad density there became higher than that of Cisleithania. This has ranked Hungarian railways the 6th most dense in the world (ahead of countries as Germany or France). In 1911 a new locomotive numbering system was introduced which was used until the beginning of the 21st century and is still in use for motive power purchased before then. The notation specifies the number of driven axles and the maximum axle load of the locomotive.

Hungarian locomotive factories

Despite the Hungarian factories were independent companies, the largest suppliers of MÁV were the

MÁVAG MÁVAG (''Magyar Királyi Állami Vas-, Acél- és Gépgyárak''; ''Hungarian Royal State Iron, Steel and Machine Factories'') was the largest Hungarian rail vehicle producer. MÁVAG company was the second largest industrial enterprise after the ...

company in Budapest (steam engines and wagons) and the Ganz company in Budapest (steam engines, wagons, the production of

electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a Battery (electricity), battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime mover (locomotive), ...

s and electric trams started from 1894). and the RÁBA Company in

Győr Győr ( , ; ; names of European cities in different languages: E-H#G, names in other languages) is the main city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Western Transdanubia, Western Transdanubia region, and – halfwa ...

. File:AEGV gőzmotorkocsi.JPG, The first steam railcar built by Ganz and de Dion-Bouton File:Máv Class 601 1914.jpg, The four-cylinder 2,950 hp (2,200 kW)

MÁV Class 601 The MÁV class 601 (nicknamed "The Giant" or "Big boy") was a class of Hungarian four-cylinder Mallet locomotives, which was designed to haul long and very heavy cargo on very steep railway tracks. At long and outputting , they were the largest ...

was the strongest steam locomotive of pre WW1 Europe. File:Ganz engine Valtellina.jpg, Ganz AC electric locomotive prototype (1901

Valtellina Valtellina or the Valtelline (occasionally spelled as two words in English: Val Telline; (); or ; ; ) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its ski centre, hot spring spas, bresa ...

, Italy) File:RA 361 Ganz Valtellina.jpg, Electric locomotive RA 361 (later FS Class E.360) by Ganz for the Valtellina line, 1904 File:MÁV armoured train.jpg, MÁV armoured train during the WW I File:V50.jpg, The world's first locomotive with a phase converter was Kandó's V50 locomotive (only for demonstration and testing purposes) The Ganz Works identified the significance of induction motors and synchronous motors commissioned Kálmán Kandó (1869–1931) to develop it. In 1894,

Kálmán Kandó Kálmán Kandó de Egerfarmos et Sztregova (''egerfarmosi és sztregovai Kandó Kálmán''; July 10, 1869 – January 13, 1931) was a Hungary, Hungarian engineer, the inventor of phase converter and a pioneer in the development of AC electric rai ...

developed high-voltage three-phase AC motors and generators for electric locomotives. The first-ever electric rail vehicle manufactured by Ganz Works was a 6 HP pit locomotive with direct current traction system. The first Ganz made asynchronous rail vehicles (altogether 2 pieces) were supplied in 1898 to

Évian-les-Bains Évian-les-Bains (), or simply Évian (, , or ), is a Communes of France, commune in Eastern France, by the border with Switzerland. It is located in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. A high-m ...

(Switzerland), with a , asynchronous-traction system. The Ganz Works won the tender of electrification of railway of Valtellina Railways in Italy in 1897. Italian railways were the first in the world to introduce electric traction for the entire length of a main line, rather than just a short stretch. The Valtellina line was opened on 4 September 1902, designed by Kandó and a team from the Ganz works. The electrical system was three-phase at 3 kV 15 Hz. The voltage was significantly higher than used earlier, and it required new designs for electric motors and switching devices. In 1918, Kandó invented and developed the

rotary phase converter A rotary phase converter, abbreviated RPC, is an electrical machine that converts power from one polyphase system to another, converting through rotary motion. Typically, single-phase electric power is used to produce three-phase electric power ...

, enabling electric locomotives to use three-phase motors whilst supplied via a single overhead wire, carrying the simple industrial frequency (50 Hz) single phase AC of the high voltage national networks.

1918–1939

At the end of World War I, after the peace treaty of Trianon that reduced Hungarian territory by 72%, the Hungarian railway network was cut from around (the long MÁV-owned network decreased to ). The number of freight cars was 102,000 at the end of World War I, but after 1921 only 27,000 remained in Hungary, of which 13,000 were in working order. The total number of locomotives was 4,982 in 1919, but after the peace treaty, only 1,666 remained in Hungary. As many existing railway lines crossed Hungary's new borders, most of these branch lines were abandoned. On the main lines, new border stations had to be constructed with customs facilities and locomotive service. Between the world wars, development focused on existing multiple-track lines and adding a second track to most main lines. An

electrification Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. In the context of history of technology and economic development, electrification refe ...

process started, based on

's patent on a single-phase 16 kV 50 Hz AC traction and his newly designed MÁV Class V40 locomotive, which used a rotary

phase converter A phase converter is a device that converts electric power provided as Single-phase electric power, single phase to Polyphase system, multiple phase or vice versa. The majority of phase converters are used to produce three-phase electric power fro ...

unit to transform the

catenary In physics and geometry, a catenary ( , ) is the curve that an idealized hanging chain or wire rope, cable assumes under its own weight when supported only at its ends in a uniform gravitational field. The catenary curve has a U-like shape, ...

high voltage current into multiphase current with regulated low voltage that fed the single multi-phase AC induction traction motor. Most main lines' cargo and passenger trains were hauled by the MÁV Class 424 steam locomotive, which became the MÁV's workhorse in the late steam era. From 1928 onwards 4- and 6-wheeled gasoline (and later diesel)

railcar A railcar (not to be confused with the generic term railroad car or railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coa ...

s were purchased (Class BCmot) and by 1935 57% of branch lines were served by railcars. The rest of MÁV's passenger network remained steam based with slow pre-war locomotives and 3rd class "wooden bench" carriages (called in Hungarian, a name nowadays applied to

low cost airlines A low-cost carrier (LCC) or low-cost airline, also called a budget, or discount carrier or airline, is an airline that is operated with an emphasis on minimizing operating costs. It sacrifices certain traditional airline luxuries for cheaper far ...

). In the early 1930s, almost all Hungarian branch line operators went bankrupt because of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. DSA, the Hungarian successor to the former Austrian-Hungarian Southern Railway, went into receivership. MÁV took over DSA's branch lines and all property in 1932 and continued to operate them. MÁV thus became the only major railway operator in Hungary, the impact of the few other independent railway companies (GySEV, AEGV) being negligible.

1939–1950

Between 1938 and 1941 Hungary received temporary territorial gains from Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia. The main goal of the MÁV was to reintegrate the newly returned rail network (that was originally built by MÁV, but several border crossings were dismantled). The biggest construction of the time was the Déda-Szeretfalva railway, because the new border in

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

after the

Second Vienna Award The Second Vienna Award was the second of two territorial disputes that were arbitrated by Nazi Germany and the Kingdom of Italy. On 30 August 1940, they assigned the territory of Northern Transylvania, including all of Maramureș and part of Cri ...

cut the rail network into two parts with no connection, while Romania closed all newly created rail border crossings not allowing Hungarian domestic traffic through on the original main route. Despite all efforts, after losing the war, Hungary lost all newly gained territories. During late

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, MÁV was used to deport

Jews in Hungary The history of the Jews in Hungary dates back to at least the Kingdom of Hungary, with some records even predating the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin in 895 CE by over 600 years. Written sources prove that Jewish communities lived i ...

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

. The Hungarian railway system subsequently suffered tremendous destruction. More than half the main lines and a quarter of the branch lines were inoperable. 85% of all bridges were destroyed, 28% of all buildings were ruined and another 32% of them inoperable. The rolling stock was either destroyed or distributed to many other European countries. Only 213 locomotives, 120 railcars (there was no fuel in the last days of the war to move them away), 150 passenger cars and 1,900 freight cars were in working order. These were prized and signed as "

trophies A trophy is a tangible, decorative item used to remind of a specific achievement, serving as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most commonly awarded for sporting events, ranging from youth sports to professional level athletics. Add ...

" by the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

. After World War II, the track, buildings and service equipment were repaired with tremendous efforts in relatively short time. By 1948 most of the railway system was operable, some larger bridges needing more time to be rebuilt. The first electrified section was already in use by October 1945. The Red Army sold back the confiscated rolling stock and locomotives were returned from Austria and Germany. To accelerate reconstruction MÁV purchased 510

USATC S160 Class The United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class is a class of 2-8-0, 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive, designed for heavy freight work in Europe during World War II. A total of 2,120 were built and they worked on railroads across much ...

locomotives which became

MÁV Class 411 The MÁV Class 411 was a class of steam locomotives used by Hungarian railways. History After World War II, Hungary, like many of the war-torn European countries, suffered a severe shortage of motive power, with much of the MÁV stock either da ...

1950–2000

In the 1950s, an accelerated

industrialization Industrialisation (British English, UK) American and British English spelling differences, or industrialization (American English, US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an i ...

was ordered by the

Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party The Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (, , MSZMP) was the ruling Marxist–Leninist party of the Hungarian People's Republic between 1956 and 1989. It was organised from elements of the Hungarian Working People's Party during the Hungaria ...

and the railway was considered a backbone of these efforts. Overloaded trains were hauled by badly maintained locomotives on poor quality tracks. Unrealistic Five Year Plans were specified; not fulfilling them was considered

sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...

. After accidents, railway workers were given

show trials A show trial is a public trial in which the guilt or innocence of the defendant has already been determined. The purpose of holding a show trial is to present both accusation and verdict to the public, serving as an example and a warning to ...

and sometimes even sentenced to death. All the time the production of steam locomotives continued, but at first in small numbers, as the Hungarian industry was fully booked producing Soviet

war reparations War reparations are compensation payments made after a war by one side to the other. They are intended to cover damage or injury inflicted during a war. War reparations can take the form of hard currency, precious metals, natural resources, in ...

. This included steam locomotives to Soviet designs, passenger and freight cars, and many other goods. The development of diesel locomotives started. The successor of the Kandó V40 locomotives, the Class V55 proved to be a failure and MÁV decided to purchase no more phase converter engines. During the

1956 Hungarian Revolution The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 4 November 1956; ), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was an attempted countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the policies caused by ...

, the railways were not seriously damaged. After the suppressed Revolution the system of Five-Year Plans was reintroduced but with lower targets. In 1958 steam locomotive manufacturing stopped in Hungary. 600 HP diesel-electric locomotives (Class M44) and 450 HP diesel hydraulic switchers (Class M31) were manufactured. By 1964, the German-designed, domestically-built MÁV Class V43 four-axle

25 kV AC Railway electrification systems using alternating current (AC) at are used worldwide, especially for high-speed rail. It is usually supplied at the standard utility frequency (typically 50 or 60Hz), which simplifies traction substations. The dev ...

50 Hz electric locomotive entered service and eventually some 450 of this reliable engine became the workhorse of MÁV traction in passenger as well as freight service. Heavy diesel engines arrived from the USSR (M62) and Sweden/United States (M61). Track maintenance, however, always remained poor, preventing the rolling stock from using the system to its fullest. To this day, (particularly ) remains the top speed for trains in Hungary, though EU funds have become available to upgrade the network, especially tracks of the

Trans-European Transport Networks The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is a planned network of roads, railways, airports and water infrastructure in the European Union. The TEN-T network is part of a wider system of Trans-European Networks (TENs), including a telecommun ...

. (Since Hungary lies in

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

, many important railway lines go through the country.) During the 1990s the state-owned MÁV gradually abandoned its most rural routes, but large scale passenger service cuts were blocked by political pressure. Still, the quality of general passenger service deteriorated considerably since Hungary converted to capitalism, as MÁV became focused on the more profitable cargo business. Relatively few people have access to the higher-quality "

Intercity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...

" express trains because of the unbalanced topography of the Hungarian railway network. Further expansion is also hampered by the shortage of high-quality passenger carriages.

2000–2010

As the post-2000 Hungarian political establishment became very much focused on the perceived "

autobahn The (; German , ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. Much of t ...

-gap" compared to better-routed

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

and especially

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

and decided to upgrade the highway system, there was no significant domestic funding for developing the Hungarian Railway especially for the small regional lines. Recent developments include the purchase of twelve

Siemens Desiro The Siemens Desiro (, , ) is a family of Diesel multiple unit, diesel or electric multiple unit passenger trains developed by Siemens Mobility, a division of the German Siemens, Siemens AG conglomerate. The main variants are the Desiro Classic, ...

diesel railbuses for commuter routes and the order for

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

Stadler Flirts, a type of very advanced electric self-propelled train for medium range shuttle paths, which is mired in a

selection Selection may refer to: Science * Selection (biology), also called natural selection, selection in evolution ** Sex selection, in genetics ** Mate selection, in mating ** Sexual selection in humans, in human sexuality ** Human mating strat ...

scandal against Bombardier's more established, but conservatively engineered Talent trains. The GySEV

–

Sopron Sopron (; , ) is a city in Hungary on the Austrian border, near Lake Neusiedl/Lake Fertő. History Ancient times-13th century In the Iron Age a hilltop settlement with a burial ground existed in the neighbourhood of Sopron-Várhely. When ...

– Ebenfurti Vasút Rt. line (connecting two Hungarian and one

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n city) is managed jointly by the two states. In 2006 the government was elected for promises, among those are making the lines between cities double-tracked, electrified, and validated for 160 km/h (by this transferring highway-cargo of companies to more environment-friendly, faster and greater capacity transportation). This was supposed to be done by first building the new track then building the remaining one in the place of the original one. The only possible way to finance the project was with the help of EU funds. EU supervision revised the plans and the projected cost but this delayed starting. During construction, the actual billings were also checked. Because of the delay and the lengthy construction works, most of the lines are still not opened in the planned state. The building works are largely forgotten by public consciousness because of the following: On 7 December 2006, as part of a broader economic restriction package, the Hungarian government announced its intention to stop operation on 14 regional lines with a total length of . The government, referring to an obligation under the constitution, ensured access to public transit in all settlements by installing bus routes and buses from Volánbusz Mass-Transit Company. This in cases when single railway stations served multiple villages, meant bus stations were established in the centers or ends of each settlement. This and increasing frequency theoretically can be done while eliminating the high fuel (diesel or electricity) consumption of the trains and their maintenance cost. The first plans of

János Kóka János Kóka (born 5 July 1972) is a Hungarian businessman, private investor, IT entrepreneur and manager of various enterprises, who served as Minister of Economy and Transport between 2004 and 2007. He was a member of the Alliance of Free Demo ...

, Minister of the Economy and Transport, were more radical, abandoning 26 lines (or 12% of the entire network), but they were met with strong opposition from the local municipalities, parliamentary opposition parties and civic organizations. The main opposition party claimed that these measures were directed against more rural areas, especially small villages. The issue was heavily politicized. People considered the buses less safe or fast, especially in winter. Since the government wanted to avoid costly environmental protection and recultivation regulations, the railway lines will not be formally ceased, with the tracks removed, just the service suspended indefinitely. However, because of widespread scrap metal theft in Hungary, this effectively means the tracks are written off. On 4 March 2007 service was suspended on 14 lines:

Pápa Pápa is a historical town in Veszprém county, Hungary, located close to the northern edge of the Bakony Hills, and noted for its baroque architecture. With its 28,549 inhabitants (2024), it is the cultural, economic and tourism centre of the r ...

– Környe,

–

Csorna Csorna is a town in Győr-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary. Csorna is located near the Fertő-Hanság National Park. There are two districts in the town: the Földsziget and the Csatárimajor. Etymology The name comes from Slavic languages, Slavic '' ...

, Zalabér–

Zalaszentgrót Zalaszentgrót is a town in Zala County, Hungary. The settlement incorporates the suburbs Kisszentgrót, Tüskeszentpéter, Csáford, Zalakoppány, Zalaudvarnok and Aranyod. Twin towns – sister cities Zalaszentgrót is twinned with: * Germ ...

Lepsény Lepsény is a village in Fejér county, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the ...

– Hajmáskér, Sellye–

Villány Villány (; , or ; Živko Mandić: Hrvatska imena naseljenih mjesta u Madžarskoj, ) is a town in Baranya County, Hungary that is famous for its wine. Residents are Hungarians, with minority of Croats, Serbs and Germans of Hungary. Until t ...

Diósjenő Diósjenő is a village in Nógrád county, Hungary. It is located about 60 kilometers north of Budapest, in the western part of the county, at the foot of Börzsöny and is surrounded by hills. History The village was first mentioned in 1282. ...

– Romhány, Kisterenye–

Kál Kál is a large village in Heves County, Hungary. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 3,392. (see Demographics) In the middle of the village located the "Kál-Kápolna" railway station on the (Nr. 80) Hatvan–Miskolc railway line, what i ...

–

Kápolna Kápolna is a village in Heves County, Hungary, beside of the Tarna River. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 1,468 (see Demographics). The village located beside of the (Nr. 84) Kisterenye–Kál-Kápolna railway line and on the Main roa ...

Mezőcsát Mezőcsát is a small town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, 35 kilometers from county capital Miskolc. History The area has been inhabited since ancient times. A necropolis from the Bronze Age was excavated from 1958 until 19 ...

–

Nyékládháza Nyékládháza is a small town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, northern Hungary, from county capital Miskolc. History The area has been inhabited since ancient times; archaeological finds include an Avar cemetery. The villages Mezőnyék and ...

Kazincbarcika Kazincbarcika is an industrial town in Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén county, Northern Hungary. It is the district seat of Kazincbarcika District. It lies in the valley of the Sajó river, from the county capital, Miskolc. History Kazincbarcika ...

–

Rudabánya Rudabánya is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary. The town territory was the location of the discovery of a hominid from 12 million years ago, '' Dryopithecus brancoi'' (1969). International relations Rudabánya is twinned with: ...

Nyíradony Nyíradony (Gazeta Transilvaniei, Anul LXV ...

–

Nagykálló Nagykálló () is a small town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary. Before World War II it belonged to Szabolcs (county), Szabolcs county. Location from county seat Nyíregyháza. History Nag ...

Békés Békés (; ; ) is a town in Békés County, Hungary. It lies about north of Békéscsaba and east of Budapest. History The area of the present town has been inhabited since ancient times, due to its good soil and proximity to rivers. After ...

– Murony,

Kunszentmiklós Kunszentmiklós () is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. The name is derived from the Cumans (Kun in Hungarian). Twin cities * Cristuru Secuiesc * Blumberg Blumberg () is a municipality situated in the Schwarzwald-Baar region of Ba ...

– Dunapataj, Fülöpszállás–

Kecskemét Kecskemét ( ) is a city with county rights in central Hungary. It is the List of cities and towns of Hungary, eighth-largest city in the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun County, Bács-Kiskun. Kecskemét lies halfway between the ca ...

and

Kiskőrös Kiskőrös (, ''Kishkerish'', , ) is a town in Bács-Kiskun, Hungary. Kiskőrös is situated between the Danube and Tisza rivers at around . Sándor Petőfi, the national poet of Hungary, was born here. Geography Kiskőrös is the sixth bigge ...

–

Kalocsa Kalocsa (; or ''Kalača''; or Калоча; ) is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. It lies south of Budapest. It is situated in a marshy but highly productive district, near the left bank of the Danube River. Historically it had greater ...

. Many of these have since been reopened by the new government. On 20 April 2007, the Index news web portal published material from internal MÁV studies, which indicated the new company leadership and the government intend to close ''all'' small regional railway lines after 2008, to eliminate sources of reincurring unfinanced expenses at MÁV (the to-be-closed lines' expenses are ten times as large as their incomes). This would leave only the international railway lines and large rural-to-town routes running. However, in 2010, when

Fidesz Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance (; ) is a national-conservative political party in Hungary led by Viktor Orbán. It has increasingly identified as illiberal. Originally formed in 1988 under the name of Alliance of Young Democrats () as ...

returned to power, the new government announced that they would undo a plethora of transportation decisions made by the

socialists Socialism is an economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes the economic, political, and socia ...

. Ten rural railway lines, previously closed with the reason of low revenues, were reopened with much fanfare. The government states both bus and railway system have to be developed, and most settlements shouldn't be limited to have only one type of station.

2010s

In the 2010s Hungary received large EU funds to modernize its rail network. These reconstruction works were concentrated on main corridor lines and suburban lines of Budapest, where most sections got complete overhauls. The branch lines were left in poor condition and still operate with old diesel railcars, speeds rarely exceed 60 km/h not receiving any funds for modernization. This caused the passenger numbers to stagnate, although the newly modernized suburban lines gained new passengers, the rural network was falling into a downward spiral. In February 2013, for the first time in its history, the railway started to train women drivers.

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

quoted a spokesman as saying that since there are no steam trains, there is no need for heavy lifting. Currently, the premium IC+ coaches run on Intercity services to Szeged, to

Lake Balaton Lake Balaton () is a freshwater rift lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the List of largest lakes of Europe, largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the larges ...

and on the Circular Intercity service on the

–

Szolnok Szolnok (; also known by #Name and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. A city with county rights, it is located on the banks of the Tisza river, in the heart of the Great Hungarian ...

–

Debrecen Debrecen ( ; ; ; ) is Hungary's cities of Hungary, second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain Regions of Hungary, region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the large ...

–

Nyíregyháza Nyíregyháza (, ) is a city with county rights in northeastern Hungary and the county capital of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. With a population of 118,001, it is the seventh-largest city in Hungary and the second largest in the Northern Great ...

–

Miskolc Miskolc ( , ; ; Czech language, Czech and ; ; ; ) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 as of 1 January 2014, Miskolc is the List of cities and towns in Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, ...

–

route, which includes all major cities in Eastern Hungary. 35 coaches are to be built in total.

2020s

From July 15, 2020, in order to strengthen the long-term coordinated, unified transport professional operation and joint strategic management of state-owned transport service companies, Volánbusz Zrt. its legal practitioner is MÁV Zrt. In January 2021, MÁV acquired Volánbusz and VOLÁN Buspark in order to implement the government's intention to have a unified strategic management of the two largest companies in the rail and road passenger transport sector. From January 1, 2025, the company underwent a major reorganization, as Volánbusz Zrt. was completely merged into MÁV-START Zrt. and MÁV-HÉV Zrt., thereby creating

The purpose of the new, merged company is to provide a uniform, passenger-friendly, easier-to-use service for those traveling with us. The three passenger transport brand names will remain, adapted to the vocabulary of our passengers in the shorter form - MÁV, VOLÁN, HÉV.

Railway stations

MÁV currently operates over 600 stations and 700 railway stops. Many of the railway's major, central stations (and also numerous major stations within the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

now located outside Hungary) were designed by

Ferenc Pfaff Ferenc Pfaff (born Franz Pfaff; 19 November 1851 – 21 August 1913) was a Hungarian chief architect of the MÁV and professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Early life and education Pfaff was born on 19 November 1851 in ...

and opened in the late 1880s and 1890s.

Budapest

* Déli Railway Station (South) *

Keleti Railway Station Budapest Keleti station (, ; "eastern railway station") is the main international and inter-city railway terminal in Budapest, Hungary. The station stands where Rákóczi Avenue splits to become Kerepesi Avenue and Thököly Avenue. Its name i ...

(East, Central) *

Nyugati Railway Station Budapest Nyugati station (, ; ), generally referred to simply as Nyugati, is one of the three main railway terminals in Budapest, Hungary. The station is on the Pest side of Budapest, accessible by the 4 and 6 tramline and the M3 metro line. ...

(West) *

Kelenföld Railway Station Kelenföld railway station (Hungarian: ''Kelenföldi vasútállomás or incorrectly Kelenföldi pályaudvar'', and until 2007 officially Budapest-Kelenföld) is among Budapest's four busiest railway stations (the others are Budapest Keleti pályau ...

* Kőbánya-Kispest Railway Station * Ferihegy station * Ferencváros Railway Station * Kőbánya alsó station * Kőbánya felső Railway Station * Pestszentlőrinc Railway Station * Szemeretelep station * Újpalota station * Zugló station

Miskolc

* Miskolc-Tiszai Railway Station * Miskolc-Gömöri Railway Station TiszaiPU

Pécs

* Pécs Railway Station *Pécs-Külváros Railway Station *Pécsbánya-Rendező Railway Station

Debrecen

* Debrecen Railway Station (Nagyállomás) * Debrecen-Csapókert station * Debrecen-Kondoros station * Debrecen-Szabadságtelep station * Tócóvölgy Railway Station

Szeged

* Szeged Railway Station * Szeged-Rókus Railway Station

Győr

* Győr Railway Station * Győr-Gyárváros station * Győrszabadhely Railway Station * Győrszentiván Railway Station *

Nyíregyháza

* Nyíregyháza Railway Station * Nyíregyháza külső Railway Station As the only railway station on the first ever Hungarian railway line to remain in its original form,

station is essentially the oldest station building in Hungary (renovated in 2013).

Statistics

* Railway lines total: **

Standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...

: **

Broad gauge A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways. Broad gauge of , more known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union countries ...

: of **

Narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...

: Note: The standard and broad gauge railways are operated by the State Railways and also the following narrow gauge railways:

– Balsai

Tisza The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa (see below) is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. It was once called "the most Hungarian river" because it used to flow entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national bo ...

part/

Dombrád Dombrád is a town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary. Etymology The name comes from a Slavic languages, Slavic personal name, compare with Czech language, Czech ''Domorád'', ''Domorod'' or ...

;

Balatonfenyves Balatonfenyves is a village at Lake Balaton in Somogy county, Hungary. The name comes from the lake and the Hungarian word for pine tree: ''fenyves''. Formerly part of Fonyód, the village was granted independence as a result of a referendum hel ...

–

Somogyszentpál Somogyszentpál (until 1929 as ''Tótszentpál'', ) is a village in Somogy County, Hungary. Geography It lies southeast of Balatonkeresztúr and south of Balatonfenyves between Kéthely and Csömend. The village can be reached by car from Kéthel ...

;

–

Kiskunmajsa Kiskunmajsa is a town in the Kiskunmajsa district of Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. Twin towns – sister cities Kiskunmajsa is twinned with: * Bačka Topola, Serbia * Bad Schönborn, Germany * Baiyin, China * Gheorgheni Gheorgheni (; ...

and the Children's Railway in Budapest. All the other narrow gauge railways are run by State Forest companies or local non-profit organisations. See also

Narrow gauge railways in Hungary The former Austria-Hungary empire had a narrow-gauge rail network thousands of kilometres in length, most of it using Bosnian gauge or gauge, constructed between 1870 and 1920. Landlords, mines, agricultural and forest estates established thei ...

References

External links

Official site of MÁV

Official site of MÁV Személyszállítási Zrt.
(passenger trains operator)
Rail Cargo Hungaria

Railway map
- with junctions and track types
Railway map
- with all stations, Hungarian-German description
Photographs of railway stations

Railway photos arranged on a map at benbe.hu

{{authority control Public transport companies in Hungary Railway companies of Hungary Government-owned companies of Hungary Companies based in Budapest Hungarian brands 1868 establishments in Austria-Hungary Government-owned railway companies