János Lázár, Minister of Construction and Transport, announced a wide-ranging development plan, promising a new era for MÁV (Hungarian State Railways) and the integrated Volán bus services, Világgazdaság reports.
As newly revealed, Hungary’s public transport system is set for a major transformation over the next five years, with significant investments focused on renewing the train and bus fleets and improving passenger services. By 2030, half of MÁV’s passenger fleet will consist of brand-new vehicles, said the minister. As part of the ongoing upgrades
- the number of seats available in railway passenger transport will increase from 130,000 to 160,000;
- punctuality is expected to improve significantly, reaching 85–88%;
- the average age of buses will be reduced to eight years.
The first steps have been taken, but success is still a long way off,”
Minister Lázár noted.
The government has already launched several large-scale procurement projects, he recalled: 100 modern locomotives are being purchased to boost train punctuality, and over 1,000 new buses are on the way. Of this fleet, 131 was deployed this summer, and a recent contract secures 869 more from a Hungarian manufacturer. The largest multiple unit (motor train) procurement in decades is also set to begin, with a mix of leasing and purchasing planned.
As previously reported by Hungary Today, the rail fleet expansion also includes 280 new InterCity train cars to strengthen domestic manufacturing, the purchase of 100 nearly-new multiple units from abroad, 25 additional trains funded by the European Union, and the possibility of purchasing trains from China.
These investments are expected to improve service quality across both InterCity and regional routes within just a few years.
Hungary’s public transport system currently serves 4.5 million people every day, and according to Minister Lázár, it remains the fifth most affordable in Europe. The annual budget for public transport is 1,100 billion forints (2.8 billion euros). Of that, 100 billion forints has been allocated to support the 10-point development program announced in January 2025.
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The multi-billion forint investment is funded by MÁV’s own resources and supported by the Hungarian Village Program.Continue reading
Via Világgazdaság, Featured image: MTI/Katona Tibor
The post Massive Fleet Upgrade Underway to Transform Public Transport by 2030 appeared first on Hungary Today.
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