In a landmark announcement, the Hungarian government revealed plans for the most significant railway development in the Great Hungarian Plain in the last century. Minister of Construction and Transport János Lázár disclosed that the government will allocate €1.5 billion to overhaul and modernize key railway lines in the Szeged-Kecskemét-Cegléd-Budapest region.
Speaking at a press conference in Kecskemét alongside Mayor Klaudia Szemereyné Pataki, Lázár emphasized the dual objectives of the project: facilitating labor mobility to workplaces and enhancing freight transport to Western European markets.
The ambitious project will begin with the modernization of the Szeged-Kiskunfélegyháza line, followed by upgrading the Kiskunfélegyháza-Cegléd line to a double-track system. These enhancements are designed to support Hungary's growing automotive industry, including the new BYD car manufacturing center in Szeged and the BMW plant in Debrecen.
The reconstruction of the railway line connecting Lajosmizse to Budapest is also part of the plan, with development occurring in two phases. Lázár noted that Kecskemét, a key hub in the region, will be directly impacted by these projects, which aim to improve both passenger and freight services.
To finance this large-scale project, Hungary will combine EU funds with state loans. The scope of the work includes the electrification and modernization of railway lines to meet contemporary transport needs.
The minister also highlighted long-delayed plans to reconstruct Kecskemét's railway station. He pointed out that the city has completed designs for an intermodal transport hub, enabling seamless integration of various transport modes. Development on the station is expected to begin next year in tandem with the broader railway upgrades.
Mayor Klaudia Szemereyné Pataki described Kecskemét as a burgeoning economic and industrial hub. Over the past 15 years, the city's population and commuter numbers have surged. A decade ago, approximately 160,000 people commuted to Kecskemét daily, a figure that has nearly doubled to 300,000 today. Including the surrounding agglomeration, the region’s population has reached 400,000 to 500,000.
