MÁV: Here is the 2026 track renovation list; obstacles to EIB-financed mega-projects have been removed

Following last week's meeting of the MÁV board, significant news on its official Facebook page.

„In 2026, we plan to replace approximately 40 worn-out turnouts from this programme at the network level, focusing on the busiest lines and stations. The programme has not yet been finalised, but the locations currently under discussion are Budapest-Kelenföld, Rákospalota-Újpest, Kőbánya-Kispest, Debrecen, Maglód, Újszász, Herceghalom and Biatorbágy. These are locations where trains are often forced to slow down due to a switch in poor condition, which leads to annoying delays and enormous energy losses due to the need to accelerate again,” wrote Zsolt Hegyi. .

Bridge repairs, ballast replacement, longitudinal rail replacement, level crossing reconstruction, turnout replacement and track regulation are planned on the Miskolc-Nyíregyháza line. The aim of the investment is to remove temporary speed restrictions on the section between Mezőzombor and Nyíregyháza and to restore the original 120 km/h track speed over the longest possible distance, he wrote.

Track construction, replacement of safety equipment to maintain a speed of 160 km/h

On railway line 60, between the stations of Gyékényes and Berzence, a 15-kilometre-long continuous welded rail track will be installed on the open line, with the installation of 10,000 new reinforced concrete sleepers and new long rails, ballast bedding along the entire length, and regulation to restore the original 80 km/h track speed and improve timetable regularity, at a cost of HUF 3 billion. This section is currently one of the worst in the country in terms of timetable regularity, but this will improve significantly in 2026, wrote Zsolt Hegyi.

One of the main causes of regular delays on Line 1 is the striking number of safety equipment malfunctions. A three-year programme is being launched, with insulation and component replacements and repairs to outdoor cabling scheduled for 2026, which is expected to significantly reduce the malfunctions causing delays.

Special maintenance work is also being carried out on sections of track currently upgraded to a speed of 160 kilometres per hour. These sections require special intervention in order to maintain a constant speed of 160 kilometres per hour.

According to Zsolt Hegyi, preparations are also underway for trains to travel between Szajol and Lőkösháza at a speed of 160 kilometres per hour from 2027, which will bring Békés County closer to Budapest.

This is how the loan application process with the European Investment Bank is progressing

He added that this fits in well with the approximately 800 billion forint infrastructure development programme jointly financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Hungarian state, for which the last administrative hurdle has also recently been removed.

This amounts to a total of 800+60 billion forints for track maintenance and renovation. With this significant sum, the likes of which have not been seen in the Hungarian railway sector for decades, „we can finally not only take a step forward, but also leap forward in the modernisation of the Hungarian railway infrastructure”.

– stated the chief executive officer.