Revamped rail station in Lökösháza
Rail travel from Budapest to Brașov will be shortened by five hours once the infrastructure developments underway in both Hungary and Romania are completed, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced at the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday for the upgraded railway section between Békéscsaba and Lőkösháza. The development is a major milestone for boosting both mobility and economic growth in the Southern Great Plain (Dél-Alföld) region.
The Prime Minister emphasized that three motorways and three railway lines — including the Budapest–Belgrade railway — are currently under construction, enabling the Great Plain (Alföld, eastern and southeastern part of Hungary) region to reconnect to the natural flow of economic and social circulation from which it was cut off over a century ago. He added that the section of the railway line leading to Brașov is also being constructed on the Romanian side, and once all parties fulfill their commitments, a significant time reduction in travel between the two cities will be achieved.
PM Orbán recalled that Lőkösháza and its surrounding region are historically important, but the borders drawn 105 years ago (Treaty of Trianon, established the division of historic Hungary after World War I) severed Békés County from its natural connections. These current infrastructure investments aim to remedy decades of isolation.
The newly inaugurated 30-kilometer railway section is particularly important, as trains will now be able to run at speeds of up to 160 km/h on this stretch, compared to the previous 100 km/h. The next rail development will take place between Szeged and Kiskunfélegyháza.
Motorway development is also progressing in the region: the full M44 motorway, which connects Békés County to the national motorway network, will be completed this year. In addition, the M47 expressway between Békéscsaba and Debrecen is in the planning phase, and the M4 motorway is currently under construction between Szolnok and Kisújszállás, extending to Berettyóújfalu — from where the border is already accessible via a four-lane road.
As part of the Alföld Program, these developments aim not only to modernize infrastructure but also to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
According to the Prime Minister, 50,000 new jobs could be created in the region in the coming period, partly due to the establishment of new factories. One such investment was announced last week by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó: the Singaporean company Vulcan Shield Global will build a factory in Békéscsaba with an investment of 280 billion forints (720 million euros), supported by 49 billion forints (126 million euros) in Hungarian government funding. The project alone is expected to create 2,500 new jobs.
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Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Máthé Zoltán
The post Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Brings New Impetus to the Great Plain appeared first on Hungary Today.
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