National infrastructure manager of Hungary

 VPE - Vasúti Pályakapacitás-Elosztó KFT.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2020):

VPE (the Rail Capacity Allocation Office) manages the Hungarian national railway network. It does not operate its own locomotives or track maintenance trains.

Website: https://www2.vpe.hu/

Railway Operators in Hungary

 MÁV - Magyar Államvasutak

Network length, gauge and electrification (2021):

An independent traction company MÁV Trakció was set up to lease locomotives mainly to the operators MÁV Start (passenger trains) and MÁV Cargo (freight). In 2013 - and after the sale of MÁV Cargo, MÁV Trakció was incorporated into MÁV Start as a subsidiary.
In November 2008 it was announced that MÁV Cargo would be sold to Rail Cargo Austria. The sale is now approved by the EU Commission, on 01-03-2010 the company was renamed into Rail Cargo Hungaria. This company still uses MÁV locomotives, apart from their own locomotives.

In 2021 MÁV Rail Tours (MRT) was founded, which took over most of the operations of (partly privately owned) MÁV Nosztalgia.. MRT organised excursion trains and private charters.

In 2023 181 million passengers travelled with MÁV, exceeding record-year 2019 by 40 million. Passenger numbers on HÉV grwe by 7 million to 71 million passengers in 2023.

Website: http://www.mav.hu/

Stock Tables:
 MÁV narrow gauge lines

The Balatonfenyves System

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

MÁV still operates this system, which is in very poor condition. The main line runs from Balatonfenyves to Csiszta, although trains only operate on the Balatonfenyves-Pálmajor branch (2006).

Széchenyi-Hegyi Gyermekvasút (Children's Railway Budapest)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

MÁV operates the Children's Railway in Budapest. This runs from the terminus of the rack railway at Széchenyi-Hegy to Hüvösvölgy.

The service on the MÁV Kecskemét and Nyíregyháza narrow gauge systems was suspended at the end of 2009. All locomotives (mostly class Mk48) have been stored.
Stock Tables:
ÁEV narrow gauge lines

The Almamellék System (ÁEV 09)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

This is the last "real" 600mm line left in Hungary. It runs from Almamellék to Sasrét and is operated by Mecseki Erdészet. The Lukafa branch was officially closed in 2011.

Csömödéri ÁEV (ÁEV 12, Csömödér and Lenti Systems)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

The Lenti system consists of one line from Lenti to Szilvágy. The Csömödér system consists of one main line from Csömödér to Kistolmács with four long branch lines. These systems are now connected with a new line from Csömödér to the Lenti line.

The Felsötárkány System (ÁEV 04)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

This system is managed by the same forestry company as the Szilvásvárad system. It runs from Stimeczház to Felsötárkány, but used to continue to Eger.

The Gemenc System (ÁEV 08)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

This line runs from Pörböly (connection to MÁV) to Bárányfok, but most trains terminate at Gemenc-Dunapart.

The Hegyközy-Bodrogközi System (Pálháza, ÁEV 01)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

The original main line of this system was Királyhelmec - Sárospatak - Sátoraljaújhely - Füzérkomlós, of which today only the branch line Pálháza - Rostall&oactue; is still in service.

The Kaszó System (ÁEV 11)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

This line runs from Szenta (connection with MÁV) to Kaszó-Puszta.

Királyréti Állami Erdei Vasút (ÁEV 06)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

This line once started as a 600mm gauge railways. It ran from Veröce (exchange with MÁV) to Cseresznyefa. At this moment passenger trains run from the Kismaros terminus close to the MÁV station to Kyrályrét. It is operated by the Ipoly Erdö forestry company.

Lillafüredi Állami Erdei Vasutak (ÁEV 02)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

This system consists of a main line running from Miskolc Kilián Észak to Garadna, with a branch from Papírgyár to Mahóca. This branch once continued to Farkasgödör- Örvénykö.

Mátravasút (Gyöngyös, ÁEV 05)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

This system consists of two branches, from Gyöngyös to Lajosháza and to Mátrafüred. An extension of 3.5km from Lajosháza to Szalajkaház was finished in September 2009 and will be opened for passenger trains in Spring 2010.

The Mesztegnyö System (SEFAG, ÁEV 10)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

This line runs from Mesztegnyö to Felsökak and is operated by SEFAG. There are currently only two return trips on Tuesdays and Fridays. The Soponya branch was closed in 2011.

The Nagybörzsöny System (ÁEV 07)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2002):

The original 600mm line used to run from Ipolypásztó (now Pastovce in Slovakia) to Nagyirtas and from there as a 760mm line to Szob (connection with MÁV). The regauged part Nagybörzsöny-Nagyirtás was reopened in September 2002, the section Nagyirtás-Márianosztra-Szob needs severe reconstruction. The Szob-Márianosztra section was renewed and reopened in 2009.

Szilvásvárad Állami Erdei Vasút (ÁEV 03)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

This well-used line runs from Szalajkavölgy-Lovaspálya to Szalajka-Fátyolvízesés. It used to continue to Bánkút, not far from the end of the LÁEV line. In 2004 the service was cut back, not serving Szilvásvárad Lovasp&aaucte;lya anymore (3.2km left in service).

The Zsuzsi System (Debrecen)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2001):

This line used to run from Debrecen to Nyirbéltek. Only the first section from Debrecen to Hármashegyalja is still open, but there are plans to reopen the entire line.
Note that there is also a 1100m long narrow gauge line in the Debrecen amusement park, with one C50 locomotive.

Stock Tables:
 BHÉV - Budapest Helyi Érdekü Vasút

Network length, gauge and electrification (2006):

Until 2016 BHÉV (then HÉV) was part of Budapest public transport operator BKV. In 2016 it was split off to make it possible to transfer the lines crossing the city limits to the central government and operation to the MÁV Group.
BHÉV now operates lines H5, H6 and H8/9 to Szentendre, Ráckeve and Gödöllö/Csömör respectively, plus line H7 Boráros tér-Csepel within the city limits.

More information on the BHÉV (provided by Janos Ero Jr, erojr@rmki.kfki.hu) can be found here.

Website: https://bkk.hu/

Stock Tables:
 BOBO - BoBo Kft.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2012):

BoBo repairs locomotives, hires locomotives to other companies and has now also started to operate its own open access freight trains. The company is based in Miskolc.

Website: http://www.bobokft.hu/

Stock Tables:
 CER - Central European Railway ZRt.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2007):

CER is a new open-access freight operator that mainly performs shunting duties and short hauls within Hungary.

Website: http://www.cer.hu/

Stock Tables:
 CRSHU - Continental Railway Solution Kft.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2016):

Continental Railway Solution operates special passenger and freight trains with second-hand diesel locomotives. The company is based in Budapest.

Website: http://www.continentaltrain.com/

Stock Tables:
 DBH - DB Cargo Hungária Kft.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2017):

DBH is a subsidiary of DB Cargo from Germany and was previously known as Logistics Center Hungaria. It started as a company performing shunting duties for the Audi plant at Györ, but has now taken over trip freights over the main line from Rail Cargo Hungaria. It mainly uses second-hand German diesel locomotives and shunters.

Website: http://hu.dbcargo.com/

Stock Tables:
 ERH - EUROGATE Rail Hungary Zrt. (former Floyd ZRt.)

Network length, gauge and electrification (2007):

Floyd was one of the first open-access freight operators in Hungary. The headquarter is located in Budapest. Floyd cooperates (a.o.) with Softrans in Romania (Constantin Group) and also used the locomotives of this company (CFR class 41) on the Hungarian network before its own locomotives were bought.

In January 2022 the company was renamed into EUROGATE Rail Hungary, after its current owner Eurogate Intermodal.

Website: https://eurogate-rail.hu/

Stock Tables:
 FOX - FOXrail Zrt.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2013):

This new open-access operator was founded in 2013 and is based in Budapest. It mainly uses second-hand Romanian locomotives.

Website: http://www.foxrail.hu/

Stock Tables:
 GySEV - Györ-Sopron-Ebenfurthi Vasút

Network length, gauge and electrification (2011):

This company operates both passenger and freight trains over some border crossings between Hungary and Austria: Györ - Sopron - Ebenfurth and Fertöszentmiklos - Neusiedl am See. In 2001 the GySEV took over the Sopron-Szombathely line (62km) from MÁV and aquired some second-hand stock for this line. This line was later electrified, as well as the Fertöszentmiklos - Neusiedl am See line (finished in 2004). At the end of 2006 they took over Szombathely-Szentgotthárd from MÁV, such that they can now provide an alternative for freight trains Wien-Graz over the Semmering line in Austria. In December 2011 214km of railways have been taken over from MÁV: Körmend-Zalalövö, Szombathely-Köszeg, Rajka-Szombathely and Szombathely-Zalaszentiván. Second-hand ÖBB diesel motor cars will be used on these lines.

In 2022 6.22 million pasengers travelled with GySEV, which is 4.5% more than in 2019 (before Covid19).

Freight services (including international open-access freight services) are operated by GySEV Cargo Zrt (GYC).

Website: http://www.gysev.hu/

Stock Tables:
 KARP - Kárpát Vasút Kft.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2013):

The company Kárpát Vasút operates open-access freight and track maintenance trains. They also provide drivers for other companies like METRANS from the Czech Republic.

Website: http://karpatvasut.hu/

Stock Tables:
 MMV - Magyar Magánvasút ZRt.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2007):

This new open-access freight train operator has started business in 2007 with second-hand modernised locomotives bought from CFR in Romania. 

Website: http://www.mmv.hu/

Stock Tables:
 MVÁ - Magyar Vasúti Áruszállító Kft.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2014):

Another open-access freight operator, based in Debrecen. They started with one second-hand electric locomotive from the Czech Republic.

Website: http://www.mvakft.hu/

Stock Tables:
 PCIHU - PKP Cargo International HU Zrt.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2020):

After Eurocom went out of business, the assets were bought by the Advanced World Transport group from the Czech Republic (former OKD Doprava). AWT in its turn has been bought by PKP Cargo from Poland that has been renamed into PKP Cargo International HU.

Website: https://www.pkpcargointernational.com/

Stock Tables:
 RCH - Rail Cargo Hungaria ZRt.

Network length, gauge and electrification (2010):

Rail Cargo Hungaria is the former freight branch of MÁV (MÁV Cargo). In 2010 it was taken over by the Austrian railways. RCH uses locomotives from their Austrian parent, hired/leased/second-hand locomotives, and locomotives of the MÁV rolling stock division.

In 2015 RCH transported 32.0 million tonnes of freight (32.7 million tonnes in 2014).

Website: https://rch.railcargo.com/

Stock Tables:
 THM - Train Hungary Magánvasút Kft

Network length, gauge and electrification (2012):

Train Hungary is a new open access freight operator, that mainly used second-hand and hired locomotives from Romania.

Website: http://www.trainhungary.hu/

Stock Tables:
Last update: 14-04-2024