Mega Budapest real estate deal about railway stations revoked

János Lázár, Hungary’s transport and construction minister, planned to lease out the landholdings of four major Budapest railway stations for 99 years to developers who would be able to commercialise the stations and their surroundings “for free”. In return, the government would not have expected developments, let alone cooperation in urban development projects. It seems that the Orbán cabinet changed its mind and revoked the scheme.

Application process concerning railway stations cancelled

According to the official explanation, the scheme was aborted due to too many applications. Therefore, the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) said they would specify some conditions and call for new applications later. However, Dávid Vitézy, a distant relative of the prime minister and leader of the Podmaniczky Movement in the Budapest Municipal Assembly, believes that the cancellation’s main reason was the upcoming elections and the political dangers the project raised.

The scheme concerned some additional railway stations outside Budapest. Vitézy said the tender was unlawful. He said the first task is the development of the railway network. He said the Hungarian state should renew the stations, make the platforms accessible, roofed, and increase the railway capacities. He said private equities were not interested in such projects since they are not profitable, but the commercial use of the railway stations and their surroundings should be preceded by state’s spending on the stations’ renovation.