Hungary considers reducing the charge for access to railway transport route by 40%

Hungary, modelled on several EU countries, is considering measures to make runway access charges cheaper by 40%. This proposal was submitted by HUNGRAIL, a strategic partner of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology. The aim of this measure is to support rail freight transport during the ongoing pandemic.

The Ministry has prepared the supporting documents on the basis of which the government is to make a decision, but so far this has not been done. The deadline for the government to make a decision on this matter should be around mid-July.

Hungarian railway undertakings hope that this proposal will make use of the possibility provided for in Regulation 2020/1429 of the European Commission, which allows EU countries to significantly reduce the financial burden on railway undertakings. In some countries, railway usage charges are also completely remiss, such as in France and Austria. In countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, they have been reduced.

The reduction in fees also affects the competitiveness of the railway. The level of rail transport costs is also decisive compared to road transport. Efforts to promote rail transport more are well-founded. In addition, Hungary is investing heavily in its railway infrastructure in order to gain a more prominent position within the international market.

Thanks to its location, Hungary is striving to become a European gateway to the east. International transport already accounts for 80% of traffic. Despite the pandemic, the number of rail freight transports in the country increased by 7.5%. Intermodal transport saw a significant increase, which saw an increase in efficiency and speed, and the volume of this market increased by almost 2%. Hungarian railway companies certainly do not want to lose this growth rate.