New train station changes Budapest’s traffic status quo

The modern facility on Hungária Boulevard will provide direct access to trams and a bus serving the city centre

A new railway station will be created at one of Budapest's most frequented transport hubs. The building permit for the stop at the new Museum of Transport on Hungária Boulevard has already been issued by the railway transport authority, Dávid Vitézy, CEO of the state-run Budapest Development Centre (BFK) writes in a Facebook post.

Direct transfer to the city centre

Thanks to the new station, passengers of the Hatvan and Újszász-Szolnok railway lines (S80, Z80, S60, Z60) will be able to transfer directly to trams 1, 28, 37 and 62, and bus 9. Currently, trains do not stop on their way from Kőbánya to Keleti railway station, preventing passengers to change to the important tram 1, which serves the zone with a high concentration of offices and commercial establishments around the city centre.

The Hungária Boulevard station will be named after the new Museum of Transport which is under construction, and BFK will even take over some elements of the project from the museum, writes Telex. This is not surprising given that Dávid Vitézy, apart from being the head of BFK, is also acting director of the Museum of Transport. 

The plans for the new stop will be prepared by the architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro which also won the international architectural design competition for the new museum building. Work on the train station itself could begin next summer and be completed by 2024.

Vitézy's transport strategy for Budapest is largely about strengthening suburban rail transport, which is also expected to reduce car use. According to preliminary traffic models, the daily traffic of the new station will reach 10,000 people. 

Project to link metro and suburban rail lines goes ahead 

Prior to his announcement regarding the new train station, Vitézy broke the news that the government has taken over from the Municipality of Budapest the project to link the terminus of the capital’s number 2 metro line and the south-bound HÉV suburban rail line. The municipal council and the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) have abandoned the preparation process citing financial difficulties.

The contract for the transfer of the design documentation and the obtained permits was signed last Friday with Katalin Walter, CEO of BKK. Both sides also agreed on further cooperation on the project. The next step is to reach an agreement with the Capital, BKK and the councils of the 10^th, 14^th and 16^th city districts on the detailed technical content of the investment.

The central government will provide 4.6 billion forints (EUR 13.1m) of EU funding to the consortium of BFK and MÁV-HÉV. The deadline for finalising the project plans is 2023. The metro line will be connected to the HÉV at Örs vezér square, reminded Vitézy.

The aim of the project is to create direct, fast, fixed-track access between the centre of Budapest, the three outer districts and the localities of Csömör, Gödöllő, Kistarcsa, Kerepes and Mogyoród which are part of the Budapest metropolitan area.