Budapest Airport’s rail link finally resolved: EUR 1 billion project to end 77-year anomaly

In the 77-year history of Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport, there has still been no adequate rail connection to the city centre. While major airports around the world and in Europe – Madrid, Barcelona, Sofia, Istanbul, and Paris – have long had fast, fixed-track solutions, the international gateway to the Hungarian capital can only be reached by road.

Introduction: Budapest Airport’s rail link is coming

The airport, which welcomes 19.6 million passengers annually, is currently accessible by car, taxi, or bus. Bus line 93, launched in 1960, originally connected Vörösmarty Square with the airport, but since the route was shortened in 1980 – due to the opening of the section of metro line 3 to Kőbánya-Kispest – there has been no direct express service from the city centre.

Since the summer of 2017, there has been a bus service marked 100E, which was launched on the occasion of the World Swimming Championships and can be used with a special ticket, as well as the 200E line, which serves as the successor to the former 93. However, these services do not provide an adequate solution to the year-on-year increase in passenger traffic and do not offer the comfort and speed that passengers arriving at or departing from a modern international airport can expect.

The lack of a fixed-track solution is particularly noticeable due to the unpredictability caused by road traffic jams, which can significantly affect travel time and cause uncertainty for passengers.

The latest news is that the deadline for applications has been postponed. On Monday, the ministry wrote that “the Ministry of National Economy and the National Concession Office, which are responsible for conducting the concession procedure, have decided to extend the deadline for participation in the concession procedure by a further 30 days, in view of the content of the technical questions submitted by the participants in the concession procedure, the technical recommendations of the Hungarian Chamber of Engineers, and the outstanding international interest.”

Main features of the planned high-speed rail link

In June 2025, Minister Márton Nagy announced that concession tenders for the implementation of the high-speed rail link from Nyugati railway station would be issued within six months. The total value of the project is EUR 1 billion, which indicates the significance and volume of the investment.

Further details were announced in October: the planned line will be 27 kilometres long, connecting Kőbánya with Monor, thus making the airport part of the national rail network. This means not only will it be easier for passengers from Budapest to reach the airport, but there will also be direct rail connections to the terminals from Debrecen and Győr.

According to the planned parameters:

• It will take 20 minutes to get from Nyugati railway station to the airport

• The planned ticket price is 3-4 thousand forints

• The journey between the two terminals will take 19 minutes

• Trains will run every 5-10 minutes

• The system will be able to serve 33,000 passengers per day

According to Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, the line could be built in six years if the process proceeds as planned.

The concession tender and implementation schedule

The National Concession Office announced the relevant public procurement on January 6, 2025. Originally, bids were expected by February 6, but according to a statement by the Ministry of National Economy and the National Concession Office, the deadline was extended by 30 days due to significant international interest.

According to Telex, there are Spanish, Japanese, Turkish, French, and British interested parties. Professional circles have suggested that the French Vinci Group, the minority owner of Budapest Airport, and V-Híd, which is owned by Lőrinc Mészáros, may also participate in the process. Chinese and Austrian bidders can also be expected.

The state aims to complete the entire process by mid-June, so it is expected to be announced in the summer who will be awarded the contract to design and implement the line. Negotiations are not expected to be concluded by mid-April, so a possible change of government could bring other considerations to the fore in the further development of the project.