Budapest’s iconic Keleti Railway Station turns 140 – here are 8 fascinating facts

Budapest’s Keleti Railway Station, an iconic example of Eclectic architecture, first opened to passengers on 16th August 1884. Renowned Hungarian painters Károly Lotz and Mór Than created the station’s stunning frescoes, but here are eight more intriguing facts about this historic Hungarian transport hub.

According to Lelépő, the Keleti Railway Station is built on three thousand piles. Due to the high water levels discovered during construction, the building required significant reinforcement. The station was designed by architects Gyula Rochlitz and János Feketeházy.

The first train departed from Keleti Railway Station on 16th August, bound for Miskolc, pulled by a steam engine. Remarkably, the station was equipped with electric lighting from the start, with 644 bulbs illuminating both the interior and exterior for passengers.

Keleti’s original name was ‘Budapest Central Station’, but it was renamed in 1892. During the Second World War, Allied bombings by American and British forces caused severe damage to the station, hitting the waiting rooms and main halls.

Keleti Railway Station still shines

In front of the station, on today’s Baross Square, a pool served the bathers built for protection purposes as a firewater tank.

The station’s façade stands 43 metres tall, crowned with an allegorical figure sculpted by Gyula Bezerédi (1858-1925), a celebrated Hungarian artist. Bezerédi’s works can also be seen in Pannonhalma and Budapest’s City Park, including his notable statue of George Washington, unveiled in 1906. Interestingly, Budapest features statues of three American presidents: Washington, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush.

Interestingly, the original Bezerédi sculpture on Keleti’s façade had to be replaced in the 1990s.

Lastly, beneath the station lies an extensive network of cellars, which served as a shelter during the war.

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