Budapest’s Southern Railway Station Closes to Trains on October 10–11: What Visitors Need to Know
Planning a train trip from Budapest this weekend? Check your departure station before setting off. Southern Railway Station, shown on tickets and journey planners as Budapest-Déli, will temporarily close to train services on October 10–11, 2026, while Hungary’s railway operator, MÁV, carries out maintenance. Many affected trains will start and finish at Kelenföld Railway Station instead, so your journey may still be possible—with a different route to the platform.
The main closure is scheduled from 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 10, until 10 p.m. on Sunday, October 11. A small number of services immediately before and after that period will still use Southern Railway Station, making it important to check your individual train rather than assume every departure across the two days follows the same arrangements.
What the Closure Means for Your Budapest Trip
During the maintenance period, trains will not run between Southern Railway Station and Budapest-Kelenföld. For visitors, the most important change is that numerous long-distance and suburban services will use Kelenföld as their temporary Budapest terminus.
This includes several services towards Lake Balaton, as well as the Bakony, Göcsej and Citadella InterCity trains. Other affected services include the Mecsek and Somogy InterCity trains. If you have planned a weekend away from Budapest, do not assume a ticket showing Budapest-Déli means you should head there as usual: check the amended timetable for your specific departure.
Some suburban services will also change. S10 trains will generally terminate at Kelenföld and depart from there towards Győr, while S12 trains will run only between Oroszlány and Tatabánya, connecting with S10 services. S36 trains will not operate during the closure, with Z30 services providing an alternative.
These are temporary timetable changes, not a shutdown of rail travel from Budapest. The key is to identify where your train will actually start or finish.
How to Reach Kelenföld Railway Station
MÁV recommends using Budapest’s regular public transport services to reach Kelenföld during the closure. From the city centre, Metro Line M4 and Tram 49 are the suggested options. Tram 19 provides a connection from central and northern Buda, while Tram 1 serves passengers travelling from southern and eastern Pest.
When planning your journey, look for “Kelenföld vasútállomás”, the Hungarian stop name for Kelenföld Railway Station. Allow extra time to find your railway platform, particularly if this is your first visit to the station.
Replacement MÁVBusz services will also connect Southern Railway Station and Kelenföld. During the daytime, buses are scheduled approximately every 15 minutes, increasing to every 10 minutes between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. The advertised journey time is around 16 minutes, although it is sensible to leave a buffer before your train departure.
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The Station Building and Metro Access Remain Available
Although Southern Railway Station will be closed to trains, it will not be completely inaccessible. Pedestrians will still be able to pass through from the Alkotás Street entrance towards the metro. Ticket offices and ticket machines will remain in operation, and passengers will also be able to use the toilets.
That distinction matters if you are staying nearby or normally use the station as a walking route. The closure concerns railway operations; it does not mean all passenger facilities and access routes are shutting down.
Why Southern Railway Station Is Closing
The weekend closure allows MÁV to carry out work that cannot safely be completed while trains continue running between Southern Railway Station and Kelenföld. The approximately 65-million-forint maintenance programme is being financed from the railway company’s own resources and has been scheduled for a weekend with lower passenger traffic.
Much of the work will happen out of sight of passengers. Teams will replace concrete sleepers and components around the points—the movable sections of track that guide trains between routes—and inspect signalling equipment. They will also check the overhead power system and repair passenger information equipment. Maintenance at the Little Gellért Hill tunnel will include work on its entrance and retaining wall.
The aim is to improve reliability and address track defects that have required speed restrictions. Completing these repairs should help restore permitted speeds in stages and make timetables easier to maintain.
A Bigger Railway Upgrade Is Also Planned
The urgent weekend repairs are separate from a more extensive redevelopment planned for the Southern Railway Station area. That later project would rebuild the railway tracks through the Little Gellért Hill tunnel and lower the track level by approximately 20 centimetres, allowing high-capacity double-decker trains to reach the station.
The proposed work also includes replacing 26 sets of points, modernising signalling and upgrading platforms with tactile guidance strips, new passenger seating and improved audio and visual information. Energy, telecommunications and security systems would also be renewed.
The station building itself is not included in that railway infrastructure project, although design work for a separate building renovation has reportedly begun. These longer-term proposals should not be confused with the maintenance taking place on October 10–11: the immediate closure is about addressing urgent faults, rather than delivering the entire redevelopment in one weekend.
Check Your Train Before Leaving Your Hotel
For this weekend, the simplest approach is to check your exact train, confirm its Budapest departure station and plan your local transport accordingly. If your service has been moved to Kelenföld, travelling directly there will usually be more straightforward than going to Southern Railway Station first.
Rail services are expected to return gradually on Sunday evening, with some late departures and arrivals using Southern Railway Station again. That means the amended timetable remains important even towards the end of the weekend. A quick check before leaving your accommodation can save you an unnecessary detour—and help keep your Budapest day trip on track.
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