photo: Status of planned HSR network in Hungary/High speed rail network in Hungary
In 2003, the concept of the Budapest - Bucharest - Constanta line emerged as an extension of the high-speed axis from Paris to Budapest. International government agreements in 2007, 2008 and 2010 between the concerned States set the foundation for the development of this project.
High-speed line projects in Hungary are part of the TEN-T. This network assumes the connection of Budapest to the following neighboring states:
- Austria (Vienna) by a new HS line through Gyor with branches to Slovakia and Czechia (direction Bratislava, Brno)
- Croatia (Zagreb) as a section of the international connection Budapest - Zagreb - Lubliana - Venice
- Serbia (Belgrade) as an element of the corridor to the Greek HS line (via Sofia or Skopje)
- Romania (Bucharest and Constanta – Black Sea)
Status of preparatory work
New high-speed line projects are currently being studied for the following routes:
Budapest – Győr. This is the project of a new high-speed line with a maximum speed of up to 300 – 350 km/h. As part of the western branch of the V4 HSR plan, the project also contributes to the overall goal to reduce the travel time to less than two hours between Budapest-Kelenföld and Wien Hbf. A pre-feasibility study for this section already exists and the detailed feasibility study (to determine the alternative routes) is currently underway and is expected to be completed by mid-2021.
Győr - Hegyeshalom: upgrade to 200 km/h. A possible element of the western branch of the V4 HSR plan, the project also contributes to the overall goal to reduce the travel time to less than two hours between Budapest-Kelenföld and Wien Hbf. The feasibility study will decide between an upgrade or new track at the Győr - state border section. Hungary hopes that a high-speed rail link between Budapest and Bucharest can be launched after the modernization of the rail line connecting Budapest to Belgrade. In February 2018, the government approved financing of EUR 3.1 million for a feasibility study on a project for the construction of an upgraded rail line linking Budapest to Cluj in western Romania, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h.
Another project is the modernisation of the existing line from Budapest to the border with Serbia. In 2017, Hungary's state-run rail operator MAV opened a tender for the renewal of the Budapest - Belgrade rail line. The project envisages the upgrade of the rail line connecting Soroksar, on the outskirts of Budapest, to Kelebia on the border with Serbia. The maximum speed for the Hungarian section will be 160 km/h. At the same time, the TEN-T network plans to connect Budapest to Szeged on the border with Serbia and Romania by high-speed line, where this line would split into branches to Bucharest and Belgrade through Subotica.
The technical parameters of these lines are not yet specified. It could be assumed that due to the long distances and transit nature of rail services in Hungary, they could have a speed of 300 - 350 km/h, which is technically feasible in good topographic conditions of Hungary.
Parameters and location of the lines
The main characteristics of the planned high-speed lines in Hungary are shown in Table. The lines are presented in Figure.