Hungarian State Railways
Encyclopedia
Hungarian State Railways is the Hungarian
national railway company, with divisions "MÁV Start Zrt" (passenger transport) and "MÁV Cargo Zrt" (freight transport).
Hungary is a member of the International Union of Railways
(UIC). The UIC Country Code
for Hungary is 55.
railway line was opened on 15 July 1846 between Pest
and Vác
. This date is regarded as the birth date of the Hungarian railways. The Romantic poet
Sándor Petőfi
, who later became a leader of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
, rode on the first train and wrote an occasional 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
in the late 1850s all these lines were sold to Austrian private companies. During this time the company of Ábrahám Ganz
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 that created the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary
, transport issues became the responsibility of the Hungarian Government, which also inherited duties to support local railway companies. This came at a considerable cost: in the 1874 fiscal year 8% of the annual budget was spent on railway company subsidies. This led the Hungarian Parliament to consider founding a State Railway in 1868.
The goal was to take over and operate the Hungarian main lines
. The branch line
s 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
. MÁV only made a contract 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, Gábor Baross
, 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
when Austria-Hungary
collapsed.
that still remains.
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.
Between the world wars, development focused on existing multiple-track
lines, and adding a second track to most main lines. An electrification
process started, based on Kálmán Kandó
'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
unit to transform the catenary
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
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
).
In the early 1930s almost all Hungarian branch line operators went bankrupt because of the Great Depression
. 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.
the Hungarian railway system 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
" by the Soviet Red Army
.
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
locomotives which became MAV Class 411
.
era, an accelerated industrialization was ordered by the Hungarian Workers' Party
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, and not fulfilling them was considered sabotage
. After accidents railway workers were given show trials and sometimes even sentenced to death.
All the time the production of steam locomotives continued, but at first in small amounts as the Hungarian industry was fully booked producing Soviet war reparations
. 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 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
50 Hz electric locomotive entered service and eventually some 450 of this reliable workhorse became the workhorse of MÁV's traction in passenger as well as freight services. Heavy diesel engines arrived from the USSR (M62) and Sweden/United States (M61). Track maintenance, however, always remained poor, which prevented the rolling stock from using the system to its full.
To this day 120 km/h (74.6 mph) (particularly 160 kilometre per hour) remains the maximum railway speed in Hungary, but EU
funds became available to upgrade the network, especially tracks that form part of the Trans-European Transport Networks
. (Since Hungary lies in Central Europe
, many important railway lines go through the country.) During the 1990s the state-owned MÁV gradually abandoned its most rural routes, but larger 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 more and more focused on the profitable cargo business. Relatively few people have access to the higher-quality "Intercity
" express trains because of the unbalanced topography of the Hungarian railway network. Further expansion is also blocked by lack of high-quality passenger carriages.
and especially Croatia
and decided to build out 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 diesel railbuses for commuter routes and the order for Swiss
Stadler Flirts
, a type of very advanced electric self-propelled train for medium range shuttle paths, which is mired in a selection
scandal against Bombardier
's more established, but conservatively engineered Talent trains.
The GySEV Győr
–Sopron
–Ebenfurti Vasút Rt. line (connecting two Hungarian and one Austria
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 to more environment-friendly, faster and greater capacity transportation for companies). This was supposed to be done by first building the new lines then building the others in the place of the formers. As necessity of acceptance by the EU for EU funds (adding revision of plans, supposed billings then actual billings) delayed starting, and because of 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 474 km (294.5 mi). The government, referring to obligation under the constitution, ensured access to public transit in all settlements by installing bus routes and buses from Volán, which in cases of single railway stations for multiple villages, meant stations in the centers or ends of every settlement. This and increasing frequency theoretically can be done while reducing fuel (diesel or electricity) and maintenance cost.
The first plans of János Kóka, 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 civil 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
–Környe
, Pápa
–Csorna
, Zalabér
–Zalaszentgrót
, Lepsény
–Hajmáskér
, Sellye
–Villány
, Diósjenő
–Romhány, Kisterenye–Kál
–Kápolna, Mezőcsát
–Nyékládháza
, Kazincbarcika
–Rudabánya
, Nyíradony
–Nagykálló
, Békés
–Murony
, Kunszentmiklós
–Dunapataj
, Fülöpszállás
–Kecskemét
and Kiskőrös
–Kalocsa
. Many of these have since been reopened by the new government.
On 20 April 2007, the Index news webportal 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's 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 returned to power, the new government announced that they would undo a plethora of transportation decisions made by the socialists
. Ten rural railway lines, previously closed with the reason of low revenues, were reopened with much fanfare. It states both bus and railway system have to be developed, and one settlement shouldn't have access to only one type of them.
and opened in the late 1880s and 1890s.
Note: The standard and broad gauge railways are operated by the State Railways and also the following narrow gauge railways: Nyíregyháza
–Balsai Tisza
part/Dombrád
; Balatonfenyves
–Somogyszentpál
; Kecskemét
–Kiskunmajsa
/Kiskőrös
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.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
national railway company, with divisions "MÁV Start Zrt" (passenger transport) and "MÁV Cargo Zrt" (freight transport).
Hungary is a member of the International Union of Railways
International Union of Railways
The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
(UIC). The UIC Country Code
UIC Country Code
The UIC Country Code is a two digit number used to identify member countries of the International Union of Railways . The UIC has issued numbering systems for rolling stock and train stations that both contain the UIC Country Code. The values are defined in UIC leaflet 920-14.-Table of Codes:-...
for Hungary is 55.
Before 1900
The first steam locomotiveSteam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
railway line was opened on 15 July 1846 between Pest
Pest (city)
Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is divided from Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the Inner City, including the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and...
and Vác
Vác
Vác is a town in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spellings of the name are Vacz and Vacs.-Location:...
. This date is regarded as the birth date of the Hungarian railways. The Romantic poet
Romantic poetry
Romanticism, a philosophical, literary, artistic and cultural era which began in the mid/late-1700s as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day , also influenced poetry...
Sándor Petőfi
Sándor Petofi
Sándor Petőfi , was a Hungarian poet and liberal revolutionary. He is considered as Hungary's national poet and he was one of the key figures of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848...
, who later became a leader of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
, rode on the first train and wrote an occasional poem
Occasional poetry
Occasional poetry is poetry composed for a particular occasion. In the history of literature, it is often studied in connection with orality, performance, and patronage. As a term of literary criticism, "occasional poetry" describes the work's purpose and the poet's relation to subject matter...
, predicting that rails would connect Hungary like blood vessels in the human body.
After the failed revolution, the existing lines were nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
by the Austrian State
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and new lines were built. As a result of the Austro-Sardinian War
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second War of Italian Independence, Franco-Austrian War, Austro-Sardinian War, or Austro-Piedmontese War , was fought by Napoleon III of France and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859...
in the late 1850s all these lines were sold to Austrian private companies. During this time the company of Ábrahám Ganz
Ganz
The Ganz electric works in Budapest is probably best known for the manufacture of tramcars, but was also a pioneer in the application of three-phase alternating current to electric railways. Ganz also made / makes: ships , bridge steel structures , high voltage equipment...
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 that created the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, transport issues became the responsibility of the Hungarian Government, which also inherited duties to support local railway companies. This came at a considerable cost: in the 1874 fiscal year 8% of the annual budget was spent on railway company subsidies. This led the Hungarian Parliament to consider founding a State Railway in 1868.
The goal was to take over and operate the Hungarian main lines
Main line (railway)
The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....
. The branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
s were constructed by private companies. When the law in 1884 provided a simplified way to create Railway Companies
Railway company
A railway company or railroad company is an entity that operates a railroad track and/or trains. Such a company can either be private or public...
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
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
. MÁV only made a contract 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, Gábor Baross
Gábor Baross
Gábor Baross , Hungarian statesman, was born at Pružina near Trencsén on 6 July 1848, and educated at Esztergom. He was for a time one of the professors there under Cardinal Kolos Vaszary. After acquiring considerable local reputation as chief notary of his county, he entered parliament in 1875...
, 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
Steg
Steg is a former municipality in the district of Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland....
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
Austrian Southern Railway
The Austrian Southern Railway was an Austrian railway company established in 1841...
(SB/DV). They also joined the zone tariff system, and remained successful until the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
collapsed.
1900–1914
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 remaining centred on BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
that still remains.
1918–1939
At the end of World War I, after the peace treaty of Trianon that reduced Hungarian territory by 72%, the railway network was cut from around 22000 to 8141 km (13,670.2 to 5,058.6 ) (the 7784 km (4,837 mi) long MÁV-owned network decreased to 2822 km (1,754 mi)). 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
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
lines, and adding a second track to most main lines. An electrification
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
process started, based on Kálmán Kandó
Kálmán Kandó
Kálmán Kandó de Egerfarmos et Sztregova was a Hungarian engineer, and a pioneer in the development of electric railway traction.-Education:...
'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
Phase converter
A phase converter is a device that converts electric power provided as single phase to multiple phase or vice-versa. The majority of phase converters are used to produce three phase electric power from a single-phase source, thus allowing the operation of three-phase equipment at a site that only...
unit to transform the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
high voltage current into multiphase current with regulated low voltage that fed the single multi-phase AC induction traction motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
. 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
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, 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 coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
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
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
).
In the early 1930s almost all Hungarian branch line operators went bankrupt because of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. DSA, the Hungarian successor to the former Austrian-Hungarian Southern Railway
Austrian Southern Railway
The Austrian Southern Railway was an Austrian railway company established in 1841...
, 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
During late World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Hungarian railway system 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
Trophy
A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...
" by the Soviet Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
.
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
USATC S160 Class
The United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class is a class of 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive designed for use in Europe during World War II for heavy freight work...
locomotives which became MAV Class 411
MÁV Class 411
thumb|right|250px|MÁV Class 411The MÁV Class 411 was a class of steam locomotives used by Hungarian railways.-History:After World War II there was a severe shortage on locomotives in Hungary, as the MÁV stock was partly destroyed in war actions or taken away by the German troops to Germany and to...
.
1950–2000
In the 1950s StalinStalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
era, an accelerated industrialization was ordered by the Hungarian Workers' Party
Hungarian Workers' Party
The Hungarian Working People's Party was the ruling communist party of Hungary from 1948 to 1956. It was formed by a merger of the Hungarian Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party. Its leader was Mátyás Rákosi until 1956, then Ernő Gerő in the same year for three months, and eventually...
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, and not fulfilling them was considered sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
. After accidents railway workers were given show trials and sometimes even sentenced to death.
All the time the production of steam locomotives continued, but at first in small amounts as the Hungarian industry was fully booked producing Soviet war reparations
War reparations
War reparations are payments intended to cover damage or injury during a war. Generally, the term war reparations refers to money or goods changing hands, rather than such property transfers as the annexation of land.- History :...
. 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
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
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
MÁV Class V43
The MÁV Class V43 is a Hungarian-built electric locomotive, with a characteristic box-like appearance. It was designed and prototyped in the early 1960s, by a German consortium of 25kV/50Hz AC rail electrification expert companies commissioned by the Hungarian government.It was further developed,...
four-axle 25 kV AC
25 kV AC
The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...
50 Hz electric locomotive entered service and eventually some 450 of this reliable workhorse became the workhorse of MÁV's traction in passenger as well as freight services. Heavy diesel engines arrived from the USSR (M62) and Sweden/United States (M61). Track maintenance, however, always remained poor, which prevented the rolling stock from using the system to its full.
To this day 120 km/h (74.6 mph) (particularly 160 kilometre per hour) remains the maximum railway speed in Hungary, but EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
funds became available to upgrade the network, especially tracks that form part of the Trans-European Transport Networks
Trans-European Transport Networks
The Trans-European Transport Networks are a planned set of road, rail, air and water transport networks designed to serve the entire continent of Europe. The TEN-T networks are part of a wider system of Trans-European Networks , including a telecommunications network and a proposed energy network...
. (Since Hungary lies in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
, many important railway lines go through the country.) During the 1990s the state-owned MÁV gradually abandoned its most rural routes, but larger 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 more and more focused on the profitable cargo business. Relatively few people have access to the higher-quality "Intercity
Inter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...
" express trains because of the unbalanced topography of the Hungarian railway network. Further expansion is also blocked by lack of high-quality passenger carriages.
2000–2010
As the post-2000 Hungarian political establishment became very much focused on the perceived "autobahn-gap" compared to better-routed SlovakiaSlovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and especially Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and decided to build out 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
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
Desiro diesel railbuses for commuter routes and the order for Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Stadler Flirts
Stadler FLIRT
Stadler FLIRT is an electric multiple unit produced by Stadler Rail AG. The articulated trainset comes in units of two to six cars with two to six motorized axles. The maximum speed is 200 km/h...
, a type of very advanced electric self-propelled train for medium range shuttle paths, which is mired in a selection
Procurement
Procurement is the acquisition of goods or services. It is favourable that the goods/services are appropriate and that they are procured at the best possible cost to meet the needs of the purchaser in terms of quality and quantity, time, and location...
scandal against Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
's more established, but conservatively engineered Talent trains.
The GySEV Győr
Gyor
-Climate:-Main sights:The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Rába and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr’s bishops can be easily recognised by its incomplete tower. Győr’s oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the...
–Sopron
Sopron
In 1910 Sopron had 33,932 inhabitants . Religions: 64.1% Roman Catholic, 27.8% Lutheran, 6.6% Jewish, 1.2% Calvinist, 0.3% other. In 2001 the city had 56,125 inhabitants...
–Ebenfurti Vasút Rt. line (connecting two Hungarian and one Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
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 to more environment-friendly, faster and greater capacity transportation for companies). This was supposed to be done by first building the new lines then building the others in the place of the formers. As necessity of acceptance by the EU for EU funds (adding revision of plans, supposed billings then actual billings) delayed starting, and because of 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 474 km (294.5 mi). The government, referring to obligation under the constitution, ensured access to public transit in all settlements by installing bus routes and buses from Volán, which in cases of single railway stations for multiple villages, meant stations in the centers or ends of every settlement. This and increasing frequency theoretically can be done while reducing fuel (diesel or electricity) and maintenance cost.
The first plans of János Kóka, 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 civil 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
Scrap Metal
Scrap Metal were a band from Broome, Western Australia who played rock music with elements of country and reggae. The members had Aboriginal, Irish, Filipino, French, Chinese, Scottish, Indonesian and Japanese heritage. The band toured nationally as part of the Bran Nue Dae musical and with...
in Hungary, this effectively means the tracks are written off
Write-off
The term write-off describes a reduction in recognized value. In accounting terminology, it refers to recognition of the reduced or zero value of an asset. In income tax statements, it refers to a reduction of taxable income as recognition of certain expenses required to produce the income...
.
On 4 March 2007 service was suspended on 14 lines: Pápa
Pápa
Pápa is a historical city in Veszprém county, Hungary, located close to the northern edge of the Bakony Hills, and noted for its baroque architecture. With its 33,000 inhabitants, it is the cultural, economic and tourism centre of the region....
–Környe
Környe
-External links:*...
, Pápa
Pápa
Pápa is a historical city in Veszprém county, Hungary, located close to the northern edge of the Bakony Hills, and noted for its baroque architecture. With its 33,000 inhabitants, it is the cultural, economic and tourism centre of the region....
–Csorna
Csorna
- People :David Gestetner, inventor of the Gestetner duplicating machine, was born in Csorna on March 20, 1854....
, Zalabér
Zalabér
Zalabér is a village in Zala county, Hungary.-References:...
–Zalaszentgrót
Zalaszentgrót
Zalaszentgrót is a town in Zala county, Hungary.- External links :* * *...
, Lepsény
Lepsény
Lepsény is a village in Fejér county, Hungary.- External links :*...
–Hajmáskér
Hajmáskér
- External links :*...
, Sellye
Sellye
Sellye is a town in Baranya county, Hungary. It is the centre of the Ormánság, a region located in the southern part of Baranya county....
–Villány
Villány
Villány is a town in Baranya county, Hungary that is famous for its wine.-Etymology:The name derives from the Hungarian word for lightning, villám...
, Diósjenő
Diósjeno
Diósjenő is a village in Nógrád county, Hungary. It is surrounded by hills and beautiful landscape.-History:The village was first mentioned in 1282. Its name comes from Jenő, the name of one of the seven tribes conquering present-day Hungary, while the word "diós" refers to walnut trees. The...
–Romhány, Kisterenye–Kál
Kal
Kal may refer to:* Kal or KAL , Kevin Kallaugher, editorial cartoonist* Ken Kal , American journalist* Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia* Kal, Poland* Kal * Kal Online, a MMORPG video game by Inixsoft...
–Kápolna, Mezőcsát
Mezocsát
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. In 1067 a monastery was founded here...
–Nyékládháza
Nyékládháza
Nyékládháza is a small town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, northern Hungary, 20 kilometers from county capital Miskolc.-History:The area has been inhabited since ancient times; archaeological finds include an Avar cemetery...
, Kazincbarcika
Kazincbarcika
Kazincbarcika is the third largest city of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary. It lies in the valley of the river Sajó, away from the county capital, Miskolc.-History:...
–Rudabánya
Rudabánya
- External links :* *...
, Nyíradony
Nyíradony
Nyíradony is a town in Hajdú-Bihar county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 8,070 people .- Places of interest :* New sports hall with indoor pool and sauna...
–Nagykálló
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.-History:...
, Békés
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 Hungarians conquered the area, Békés and its surroundings were the...
–Murony
Murony
Murony is a village in Békés County, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of 35.68 km² and has a population of 1478 people ....
, Kunszentmiklós
Kunszentmiklós
Kunszentmiklós is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary.- External links :...
–Dunapataj
Dunapataj
Dunapataj is a village in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary.It lies north from Kalocsa. It is the administrative headquarters of the local museum. Lake Szelidi, a holiday resort and nature reserve with unique wildlife is away. The Calvinist Church includes Gothic architecture remains from the 15th...
, Fülöpszállás
Fülöpszállás
Fülöpszállás is a village in Bács-Kiskun county, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 1657 people ....
–Kecskemét
Kecskemét
Kecskemét is a city in the central part of Hungary. It is the 8th largest city of the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun.Kecskemét lies halfway between the capital Budapest and the country's third-largest city, Szeged, 86 kilometres from both of them and almost equal distance from the two...
and Kiskőrös
Kiskorös
Kiskőrös is a town in Bács-Kiskun, Hungary. It is located at around . Sándor Petőfi was born here.- Geography :Kiskõrös is the sixth biggest city in Bács-Kiskun county by population. It is located in the center of the county, 22 km east from the river Danube and 110 km south of Budapest...
–Kalocsa
Kalocsa
Kalocsa is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. It lies 88 miles 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 political and economic importance than at present.Kalocsa is the Episcopal see...
. Many of these have since been reopened by the new government.
On 20 April 2007, the Index news webportal 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's 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 returned to power, the new government announced that they would undo a plethora of transportation decisions made by the socialists
Hungarian Socialist Party
The Hungarian Socialist Party describes itself as a social democratic party in Hungary. It is the partial successor of the communist Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party , which ruled Hungary between 1956 and 1989. The decision to declare the party a successor of the MSZMP was controversial, and...
. Ten rural railway lines, previously closed with the reason of low revenues, were reopened with much fanfare. It states both bus and railway system have to be developed, and one settlement shouldn't have access to only one type of them.
Railway stations
Many of the railway's major stations (and also numerous major stations within the Austro-Hungarian Empire now located outside Hungary) were designed by Ferenc PfaffFerenc Pfaff
Ferenc Pfaff was a famous Hungarian architect and academic.-Career:Pfaff received his degree in 1880 after studying under Imre Steindl at the Jozsef Nador Technical University in Budapest...
and opened in the late 1880s and 1890s.
Budapest
- Déli Railway Station
- Keleti Railway Station
- Nyugati Railway Station
- Kelenföld Railway StationKelenföld Railway StationBudapest Kelenföld railway station is Budapest's fourth busiest railway station...
Statistics
- Railway lines total: 7606 km (4,726.2 mi)
- Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
: 7394 km (4,594.4 mi) - Broad gaugeRussian gaugeIn railway terminology, Russian gauge refers to railway track with a gauge between 1,520 mm and . In a narrow sense as defined by Russian Railways it refers to gauge....
: 36 km (22.4 mi) of - Narrow gauge: 176 km (109.4 mi)
- Standard gauge
Note: The standard and broad gauge railways are operated by the State Railways and also the following narrow gauge railways: Nyíregyháza
Nyíregyháza
- Tourist sights :Nyíregyháza also has several museums and exhibitions, showing the city's rich cultural heritage.* Collection of the International Medallion Art and Small Sculpture Creative Community of Nyíregyháza-Sóstó – periodic exhibitions of works of contemporary artists-Twin towns — Sister...
–Balsai Tisza
Tisza
The Tisza or Tisa is one of the main rivers of Central Europe. It rises in Ukraine, and is formed near Rakhiv by the junction of headwaters White Tisa, whose source is in the Chornohora mountains and Black Tisa, which springs in the Gorgany range...
part/Dombrád
Dombrád
Dombrád is a town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 4243 people ....
; Balatonfenyves
Balatonfenyves
- External links :* The village has the longest beach on lake Balaton with its about . No entrance fee needed....
–Somogyszentpál
Somogyszentpál
- External links :*...
; Kecskemét
Kecskemét
Kecskemét is a city in the central part of Hungary. It is the 8th largest city of the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun.Kecskemét lies halfway between the capital Budapest and the country's third-largest city, Szeged, 86 kilometres from both of them and almost equal distance from the two...
–Kiskunmajsa
Kiskunmajsa
- Twin cities :* Bačka Topola * Gheorgheni * Lommatzsch * Bad–Schönborn * Lubliniec...
/Kiskőrös
Kiskorös
Kiskőrös is a town in Bács-Kiskun, Hungary. It is located at around . Sándor Petőfi was born here.- Geography :Kiskõrös is the sixth biggest city in Bács-Kiskun county by population. It is located in the center of the county, 22 km east from the river Danube and 110 km south of Budapest...
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.
Financial Performance and corporate statistics
- Revenue = 299,856 million FtHungarian forintThe forint is the currency of Hungary. It is divided into 100 fillér, although fillér coins are no longer in circulation. The introduction of the forint on 1 August 1946 was a crucial step of the post-WWII stabilization of the Hungarian economy, and the currency remained relatively stable until...
(2009) - Number of employees = 38,456 (2009)
- Owner = Hungarian state (100% state ownershipState ownershipState ownership, also called public ownership, government ownership or state property, are property interests that are vested in the state, rather than an individual or communities....
)
Railway links with adjacent countries
- Same gauge:
-
SlovakiaRail transport in SlovakiaRail transport in Slovakia began on 21 September 1840, with the opening of the first line from Bratislava to Svätý Jur and on 20 August 1848 ....
- yes -
Croatian RailwaysCroatian RailwaysCroatian Railways is the national railway company of Croatia. It was formed after the dissolution of Yugoslavia and Yugoslav Railways.Croatia is a member of the International Union of Railways . The UIC Country Code for Croatia is 78.-Railway network:...
- yes -
Slovenske železniceSlovenske železniceSlovenian Railways is the state railway company of Slovenia, created in 1991 from the Ljubljana division of the former Yugoslav Railways after the breakup of Yugoslavia.Slovenia is a member of the International Union of Railways...
- yes -
Austrian Federal Railways - yes -
Serbian RailwaysSerbian RailwaysSerbian Railways is the national railway carrier of Serbia. Its current network spans a distance of 4,347 km in length, with 32% electrified railways....
- yes -
Căile Ferate RomâneCaile Ferate RomâneCăile Ferate Române is the official designation of the state railway carrier of Romania. Romania has a railway network of of which are electrified and the total track length is . The network is significantly interconnected with other European railway networks, providing pan-European passenger...
- yes
-
- Break-of-gaugeBreak-of-gaugeWith railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
:-
Ukrainian Railways - yes - /
-
External links
- Official site of MÁV
- Official site of MÁV-Start
- Rail Cargo Hungary (ex-MÁV, Rail Cargo Austria Group)
- Railway map - with junctions and track types
- Railway map - with all stations, Hungarian-German description
- Photographs of railway stations
- Railways and Tourism, Public Transport in Hungary
- Railway photos arranged on a map at benbe.hu
- Budapest public transport map