Train Troubles in Budapest: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Hey folks, it seems like the Hungarian railway system is having a bit of a rough day today. First, there was a train derailment near Keleti station, causing some serious disruptions. But wait, there’s more! Now, there are issues at Nyugati station too. Talk about a double whammy!

According to MÁV (the Hungarian State Railways), there’s a track fault between Kőbánya alsó and Nyugati station, which means trains can only run on one track in that section. As a result, you can expect delays of 20-40 minutes on the Budapest-Cegléd line. Oh, and some trains might even have shorter routes. In Zugló, trains are temporarily stopping on track 2 in both directions.

To reduce delays, the S50 trains are only running between Monor and Kőbánya-Kispest, and the S50 train (2765) departing from Monor at 12:36 has been canceled altogether. It’s like a game of musical chairs, but with trains!

This puts even more pressure on Hungary’s railway network, especially since the Claudiopolis InterCity (IC 74) from Cluj-Napoca to Budapest derailed near Keleti station on Sunday evening, disrupting traffic at the main station. The technical rescue is still ongoing on Monday, which means trains to Keleti are arriving and departing from other stations. In other words, Keleti station is practically closed indefinitely.

But wait, there’s even more news! The S70 train that left Nyugati station at 8:15 for Vác hit a person at Felsőgöd. Until the scene is investigated, traffic is suspended on one track between Göd and Vác. On the Budapest-Vác-Szob line, travel time may increase by 10-20 minutes, sometimes even 20-30 minutes. Regular traffic is expected to resume in the afternoon.

This is already the second railway accident on Monday morning, as the Hernád InterCity hit a person at Mezőkövesd. These accidents are causing further disruptions in the already chaotic railway traffic due to the derailed train near Keleti station on Sunday evening.

In a press conference on Monday afternoon, MÁV CEO Zoltán Pafféri said that traffic is expected to resume on Tuesday morning, while Réka Németh, Deputy CEO for Track Operations and Investments, mentioned that based on the initial inspection, a piece of the switch broke off, but it’s unclear whether this is the cause or the effect.

So, if you’re planning to travel by train in Budapest today check out the map-based route planner to figure out the best routes for you! Oh and you might want to pack some extra patience and maybe a good book, just in case. It’s going to be a bumpy ride!

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