The Budapest Times
This is what the new HEV-trains could look like – Photo: BFK

Suburban railways development to result in better integrated, faster services

Written by BT/MTI
The development of Budapest's three suburban railway (HEV) lines connecting the city with Csepel, Rackeve and Szentendre is in its planning phase, the Budapest transport development centre (BFK) said. The end result will be better integrated and faster services, the centre said.

Thanks to an extension of the southern suburban rail lines to Kalvin square in the city centre, passenger numbers are expected to double, BFK said. The trains will pass underground at Kozvagohid station, reaching downtown Kalvin Square with a stop at Boraros Square, allowing the development of a new extended green promenade along the River Danube, it added.

Around one million people commute to the city centre from suburban areas every day, and the HEV development project will also shorten their travel times. On certain external stretches of the HEV network, trains will travel at up to 100kmh. New stations will be built and air-conditioned carriages with disabled access will be introduced.

Services between Szentendre and Batthyany Square will become more frequent and travel times will be up to 6 minutes shorter. Travel times from Rackeve to Kalvin Square will be 30 minutes shorter and from Csepel 7 minutes shorter than currently.

Balazs Furjes, the state secretary for the development of Budapest and its agglomeration, said the HEV development project was a testimony to the government’s major efforts towards advancing the city’s public transport services.  The project is receiving 13.7 billion forints (EUR 38.4m) in non-refundable support co-funded by European Union Cohesion Funds and the Hungarian central budget.

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