Budapest’s iconic Keleti Railway Station will undergo long-awaited reconstruction starting 25 August, with all train traffic suspended for a full month, MÁV CEO Zsolt Hegyi announced Tuesday via social media.
Acknowledging the inconvenience to travellers, Hegyi emphasized that passenger rerouting has been carefully planned in cooperation with the Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK). Measures include increased tram services, replacement buses, and enhanced on-site staff presence to ensure smooth travel and real-time updates.
The full train schedule reflecting the new arrangements will be published by 10 August to give passengers ample time to plan alternative routes.
According to MÁV, the renovation funded entirely from internal resources at a cost of approximately 4.4 billion forints will involve 400–450 specialists and a wide array of heavy equipment and vehicles. The upgrade is expected to significantly improve the reliability and efficiency of Keleti’s operational infrastructure, reducing equipment failures and service disruptions.
From 25 August through 20 September, no trains will arrive at or depart from Keleti Station. This affects multiple key railway lines, including those toward Győr, Pécs, Hatvan–Miskolc, and Újszász–Békéscsaba. Travel times on these routes will likely increase due to detours and additional transfers.
MÁV has launched a dedicated webpage that will be continuously updated with timetable changes, travel tips, suggested alternative routes, and interactive maps. The railway company encourages all passengers to consult this page even before the closure begins.
Additional transfer hubs will be created across Budapest, integrating with HÉV suburban trains, VOLÁN regional buses, and BKK urban transit services to maintain accessibility citywide.
The disruption will also affect a number of international services that typically run through Keleti. Updated international and domestic schedules will become searchable through the MÁV app, EMMA, and the ticketing website jegy.mav.hu starting 10 August.
MÁV urges passengers to prepare for extended travel times and plan their journeys with the help of the tools provided to minimize inconvenience during the renovation period.
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