The future of the railway – the railway of the future in Budapest

Abstract

The construction of the Budapest railway network began 174 years ago, and after continuous expansion and transformation, it took the form similar to its current one a few decades later. Passenger transport is currently concentrated on three main railway terminals, which can be bypassed, mainly by freight transport, on connecting lines. Ideas were conceived to transform the network, e.g. to create a central railway station, as early as at the turn of the 20th century, but their  implementation has not yet taken place to date. Much of the capital's network is now obsolete in terms of passenger and rail traffic, while the national network, especially the suburban railways, have undergone significant development or are in the process of being modernized. As a result, the railway stations of Budapest along with the city’s gathering lines and connecting lines are now a bottleneck in the railway network.