Hungarian State Railways prouder than ever: passenger train hit 160 km/h! – VIDEO
The quality of service of the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) has been the focus of criticism recently due to the numerous train delays and cancellations resulting from outdated trains, locomotives, railway tracks, and other railway infrastructure. However, in a recent post, Zsolt Hegyi, the CEO of MÁV, wrote that he was proud of the company for starting to operate a railway line section where trains can carry passengers at 160 km/h. That is an unbelievable speed in Hungary, where travelling from Budapest to Szeged or Miskolc still takes more than 2 hours.
Miracle: Passenger train hit 160 km/h in Hungary!
According to MÁV CEO Zsolt Hegyi’s Facebook post and a video of the exceptional train speed, a FLIRT train carried passengers at 160 km/h (2667m/min), the first-ever in the long history of the Hungarian railway (starting in 1846 with the first line between Vác and Budapest). The train operated only on a short section of the Budapest-Székesfehérvár line at that speed. Hegyi added that the passengers were those who would not have been able to travel by train due to the lack of space on the scheduled train.
Hegyi added that the reason they put the replacement train into service was the increased traffic volume on Friday, when thousands of Budapesters travel to Lake Balaton to spend the weekend close to the lake and cool down while escaping the city’s scorching heat.
Here is the video:
45 kilometres allowed “express” travel
Hegyi added in the video that a 45-km-long segment of the Budapest-Székesfehérvár line allowed trains to commute at 160 km/h. On 21 June, scheduled trains can also travel at 160 km/h on that segment if they are capable of reaching that speed. In the summer, Flirt and KISS trains commute there, and if they are delayed, they can make up time there.
That means no scheduled trains will carry passengers at 160 km/h, only if they are delayed. As a result, travel times will not become shorter in the timetables. Hegyi hopes that the “express section” will increase service quality between the capital and Lake Balaton. He added that replacement trains will remain in operation during this weekend there.
Hungarian State Railways in the focus of criticism
The Hungarian State Railways has recently been the focus of criticism due to the long and numerous delays. For example, on the Pentecost weekend, rail transport towards Lake Balaton collapsed due to a barrier fault. The transport minister blamed Siemens, promised a full refund and ordered air-conditioned buses to Budapest for replacement. However, the public still believes the core reason for the problems with the Hungarian railway system and MÁV is the lack of development and money for the expected high-quality operation.
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