Neglect hits Hungary railway

When Hungarian retiree Gyula Botos travels in the capital Budapest on the express train to Gyal, he tries to avoid the old diesel passenger trains, for fear of arriving very late.

- ANDRAS ROSTOVANYI

Although Hungary has a dense railway network, critics say years of underinvestment and neglect have taken their toll on repairs by governments expanding the country’s motorways.

Detractors complain it is wasting the potential of its railways, a legacy of the Habsburg Empire, and laud many other countries in the region that lack such historical foundations for quality rail services.

But with the Hungarian government reluctant to spend money on its ageing railway infrastructure, residents living along the Lajosmizse-Budapest line like 66-year-old Mr Botos, resort to driving — a train trip to town on a faster train.

The diesel trains — which travel at an average speed of 31 kilometres per hour — “are so slow, even a small bike can overtake them,” Mr Botos told AFP.

“Rail traffic is terribly unreliable,” said a passenger on a different line, 54-year-old office worker Ildiko, who declined to give her full name.

‘SEEKING VOTES’

She complained that she had experienced delays of several hours at times.

According to Hungary’s state railway operator MAV, reported delays added up to 6.9 years to journey times overall last year — a new record — with some lines facing more frequent delays than others.