Grand plans, no dates: Government pledges full HÉV revamp and new bridges for Budapest
The Hungarian government is planning a comprehensive renovation of all suburban HÉV rail lines, Minister of Construction and Transport János Lázár announced in a Facebook video posted on Tuesday. The first full-scale reconstruction is set to begin on the Szentendre line, where tracks, stations, and outdated train cars are all due for renewal.
All HÉV lines to be upgraded, according to promises
“We want to renovate every HÉV line and replace the current railcars with new ones,” said the minister, adding that planning contracts for the upgrades have already been commissioned. According to him, procurement will begin this year for 54 new HÉV railcars — a sharp increase from the 18 units previously mentioned in May, Népszava reports.
Lázár emphasised that the overhaul is urgent, as all 100 HÉV trains currently in service in Hungary are now 60 years old. The project is not merely a matter of aesthetics — it is also crucial for passenger safety and comfort.
In reality, nothing has actually started
However, according to Népszava, the procurement process has still not been officially launched, despite earlier promises from the minister in May. Moreover, no tender has been announced for the track renovation work, further reducing the likelihood that meaningful progress will be made before the next election. Sources cited by the outlet state that such public procurement procedures typically take at least six months, and even under optimistic scenarios, manufacturing and delivering new trains — given European production capacity — would take several years.
Dávid Vitézy, parliamentary group leader of the Podmaniczky Movement, noted that no tangible progress has been made in recent months either: “In May, he promised action by the end of the month. Now it’s by the end of the year. But in between, nothing has happened.” According to Vitézy, the design contracts Lázár refers to were actually issued earlier by the Budapest Development Centre. Since then, Lázár has instead halted many of the previously initiated projects.
New bridges and infrastructure renovation plans in Budapest
In addition to the HÉV overhaul, János Lázár also discussed plans to improve Budapest’s bridges. He stated, “We are the government that builds at least one bridge across the Danube or Tisza in every election cycle.” In the previous term, a new bridge was opened near Kalocsa, and currently, a crossing is under construction in Mohács.
The minister said Budapest needs another public transport bridge, as well as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge. He stressed the importance of a full renovation of the bridge network in South Pest and the Csepel area, calling the reconstruction of the Gubacsi Bridge a “top priority.”
Big plans, tight timelines
While the goals are ambitious, doubts are mounting over whether they can be realised. European Union funds are only available until 2029, which limits the government’s financial flexibility. In addition, slow procurement processes and limited European industrial capacity further hinder rapid execution.
As the minister continues to cite larger figures and more distant deadlines, concrete action has yet to materialise. For now, residents of Budapest and the surrounding suburbs continue commuting on decades-old, deteriorating HÉV trains — hoping that the long-promised upgrades will eventually become a reality.
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