New bill: Orbán cabinet wants to significantly reduce train frequency between Budapest and rural towns, plans to close train lines

A recently submitted bill shows that the Orbán cabinet may significantly reduce train frequency between Budapest and rural towns. At least that is what Dávid Vitézy, the Fidesz-backed former mayoral candidate of Budapest, said. Vitézy worked and works as a transport expert in civilian life. He said Hungarians should kill the bill by protesting and writing emails and letters of complaint to their MPs regardless of whether they are opposition or Fidesz.

Train frequency between Budapest and rural towns may be reduced

According to Dávid Vitézy, János Lázár, Hungary’s transport and construction minister, submitted a bill that would significantly cut train frequency between Budapest and Hungarian rural towns and result in the closure of many train lines if accepted by the Hungarian Parliament. The former mayoral candidate backed by Fidesz and the leader of the Podmaniczky Movement in the Budapest Municipal Assembly said that Lázár’s bill is unacceptable and would damage public transport in Hungary.

The new bill will be discussed in the February session of the parliament, and it says that the Orbán cabinet would claim that it is enough to operate two trains between Budapest and the country towns or between towns. That would mean that instead of the current hourly schedule, only two trains would commute between Szeged and Budapest, Győr and Budapest, or Nyíregyháza and Debrecen. Vitézy highlighted that between populous towns and Budapest, trains typically commute hourly. Moreover, between the most populous county seats and Budapest, trains commute every half an hour.