Budapest S-Bahn plans approved
- Pinnacle Team
- Sep 4
- 1 min read
Construction has officially begun on a 7 km track extension and three new stations on the Kelenföld–Ferencváros line in Budapest, Hungary, following official approval last month from the Hungarian Ministry of Construction and Transport (EKM). An additional track will be added to the double-track section between Kelenföld and the Danube River, where a new bridge has already been installed. From there, another new track will be added to the existing double-track railway all the way to Ferencváros. Two new stations will be built at Nádorkert and Közvágóhíd, with a third station added at Népliget, beyond Ferencváros.
This Budapest Southern Ring upgrade project, which is receiving 338 billion forints ($963 million USD) in funding from the European Union (EU), has faced several challenges over the past two years, including ongoing opposition from environmental activists. The Hungarian government has now classified the project as a strategic defense development in response to the war in Ukraine, which will prevent further obstacles. The main contractor is V-Híd, and completion is scheduled for 2027. S-Bahn-style suburban services are planned along this line, connecting to the 80a/120a lines at Kőbánya-Kispest, Rákos, and beyond, and to the 70/71 lines at Esztergom and Rákospalota-Újpest and beyond.
In addition to the new S-Bahn service, the increased capacity of this line is expected to benefit intercity and cross-border passenger and freight services. As part of the project, three existing bridges that form part of the elevated line over a southern Budapest road will be replaced. The current double-track railway is a major artery connecting eastern and western Hungary and includes one of the country's busiest railway bridges.
February 16, 2024
