Hungarian State Railways
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Hungarian State Railways (Magyar Államvasutak or MÁV) is the railway company of Hungary, separated to MÁV Start Zrt. (passenger transport) and MÁV Cargo Zrt. (freight transport)[1]
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[edit] History
The first steam engine railway line was opened on July 15, 1846 between Pest and Vác. This date is regarded as the birth date of Hungarian railways. Romantic poet Sándor Petőfi, who later became the leader of the 1848's national revolution, rode on the first train and wrote a poem on the occasion, predicting that rails would connect Hungary like blood vessels in the human body.
After the lost Revolutional War in 1849 the existing lines were nationalized by the Austrian State and new lines were added. As a result of the Austro–Sardinian War in late 1850s all these lines were sold to Austrian private companies. During this time the company of Ábrahám Ganz invented a method of "crust-casting" to produce cheap, yet sturdy iron railway wheels, which greatly contributed to railway development in Central Europe.
Following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 that created the Double Monarchy Austria-Hungary the transport issues became task of the Hungarian Government. It also inherited the duties to support the local railway companies. This was a considerable sum, in the fiscal year of 1874 8% of the annual budget was spent for railway company subsidies. This led the Hungarian Parliament to decide about founding a State Railway in 1868.
The goal was to take over and operate the Hungarian mainlines. The branchlines were constructed by private companies. When the law in 1884 gave a simplified way to create Railway Companies many small branchline companies were founded. These, however, usually only constructed the lines, they made a contract with MÁV to operate them. Thus they also owned no locomotives and rolling stock. MÁV only made a contract if the line, its equipment and buildings were constructed by MÁV standards. This helped to build standard station buildings, sheds, and accessories, all to the MÁV rules.
Due to the relatively high prices the traffic density was considerably lower in Hungary than in other countries. To change this the minister of ways and communications, Mr. Gábor Baross introduced the zone tariff system in 1889. This system resulted in lower prices for passenger trips and goods transport but it induced a rapid increase in both passenger and freight traffic, thus higher overall profits.
In the year 1890 most large private railway companies were nationalized as a consequence of their poor management, except the strong Austrian owned Kaschau-Oderberg Railway (KsOd), the Austrian-Hungarian Southern Railway (SB/DV) and the Staats-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft. While the first two agreed to join to the zone tariff system, and remained successful Railway companies until the end of WW1, the collapse of Austria-Hungary, the Hungarian lines of the Staats-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft were bought off by the Hungarian State directly from the French owners, and became MÁV lines.
By the first decade of the 20th century MÁV became one of the largest European Railway Company, concerning both the line structure and the finances. Their profitability, however, remained always behind most West European Companies, both state owned ones and private ones. The Hungarian railway infrastructure was finalized in these years, with a topology remaining very Budapest-centric up to now.
In 1911 a new locomotive numbering system was introduced which was used until the beginning of the 21th century, and still in use for earlier purchased motive power. This system informs about the number of driven axles and the maximal axle load of a locomotive.
At the end of WWI, after the peace treaty of Trianon, which reduced Hungarian territory by 72%, the 7784 km long MÁV network decreased to 2822 km. The number of freight cars was 102,000 at the end of WW1, after 1921 27,000 remained in Hungary, 13,000 in operable state. The total number of locomotives was 4982 in 1919, after the peace treaty 1666 remained in Hungary. As the new borders of Hungary crossed many existing railway lines, most of these branchlines were abandoned. On the mainlines new border stations had to be constructed with customs facilities and locomotive service.
Between the world wars, development focused on existing multiple track lanes, and adding a second lane to most mainlines. An electrification process started, based on Kálmán Kandó's patent on a single phase 16kV 50 Hz AC traction and his newly designed Class V40 locomotive, which used a rotary phase converter unit to transform the catenary high voltage current into multiphase current with regulated low voltage that fed the single multi-phase AC induction traction motor. Most main lines cargo and passenger trains were hauled by the Class 424 steam locomotive, which became the late steam era workhorse of MÁV. From 1928 on four and six wheeled gasoline, later diesel railcars were purchased (Class BCmot) and by 1935 57% of the branchlines were served by railcars. The rest of MÁV's passenger network remained steam based with slow pre-WWI locomotives and 3rd class "wooden bench" carriages (called "fapados" in Hungarian, which name is nowadays applied to low cost airlines).
In the early 1930s almost all Hungarian branchline operators became bankrupt due to the Great Depression. The Hungarian successor of the former Austrian-Hungarian Southern Railway, DSA entered into receivership. MÁV took over the branchlines and all DSA property (1932) and continued to operate them. This way MÁV remained the only major railway operator in Hungary, the number of other independent railway companies was negligible (GySEV, AEGV).
During late WWII the Hungarian railway system suffered tremendous destruction, more than half of the mainlines and 25% of the branchlines were unusable. 85% of the bridges were destroyed, 28% of the buildings were ruined and another 32% of them unusable. The rolling stock was either destroyed or distributed in many other European countries. Only 213 locomotives, 120 railcars (there was no fuel in the last days of the WW2 to move them away), 150 passenger cars and 1900 freight cars were in usable state. These were considered and signed as "trophy" by the soviet Red Army.
The tracks, buildings and service equipment was repaired with tremendous efforts in relatively short time. By 1948 most of the railway system was usable, some larger bridges needed longer time to get rebuilt. The first electrified section was in use already in October 1945. The Red Army sold back the confiscated rolling stock and the locomotives returned from Austria and Germany. To accelerate the reconstruction MÁV purchased 510 pc. USATC S160 Class locomotives which became MAV Class 411.
In the 1950s stalinistic era an accelerated industrialization was ordered by the Hungarian Communistic Party and the railway was considered as backbone of these efforts. Overloaded trains were hauled by ill maintained locos on poor quality tracks. Unrealistic five-year plans were specified and not fulfilling them was considered as sabotage. After accidents railway workers were put to show trials and sometimes even sentenced to death.
This time the production of steam engines continued but first in small amounts as the Hungarian industry was booked out with Soviet war reparations production. This included steam locomotives by Soviet design, passenger and freight cars and many other goods. A development of diesel locomotives started. The successor of the Kandó V40 locomotives, the Class V55 proved to be a failure and MÁV decided to purchase no more phase converter engines.
During the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 railways were not seriously damaged. After the suppressed Revolution the system of the five-year plans was reintroduced but with lower targets. In 1958 the steam locomotive manufacturing was stopped in Hungary. 600HP diesel electric (Class M44) and 450HP diesel hydraulic switchers (Class M31) were manufactured.
By 1964, the German designed, domestically built Class V43 four-axle 25kV/50 Hz AC electric locomotive entered service and eventually some 450 of this reliable workhorse became the fulcrum of MÁV's traction in passenger as well as freight services. Heavy diesel engines arrived from the USSR (M62) and Sweden-USA (M61). The track maintenance, however, remained always poor which disabled the rolling stock to exploit the system.
To this day 120 km/h (particularly 160 km/h) remains the maximum railway speed in Hungary, but EU funds may become available to upgrade the network, especially tracks that form part of the trans-European corridor. (Since Hungary lies in Central Europe, many important railway lines go through the country). During the 1990s the state-owned MÁV company gradually abandoned its most rural routes, but larger scale passenger service cuts were blocked by political pressure. Still, the quality of generic passenger service deteriorated considerably since Hungary converted to capitalism, as MÁV became more and more focused on the profitable cargo business and relatively few people have access to the higher-quality "Intercity" express trains due to unequal topography of the Hungarian railway network and further expansion is also blocked by lack of quality passenger carriages.
As the post-2000 Hungarian political establishment became very much focused on the perceived "autobahn-gap" with regards to better routed Slovakia and especially Croatia, there is little hope of significant domestic funding for the Hungarian railway infrastructure in the short term. Recent developments include the purchase of one dozen Siemens Desiro diesel rail-buses for commuter routes and the order for Swiss Stadler Flirts, a yet-untested type of very advanced electric self-propelled train for medium range shuttle paths, which is mired in a biased selection scandal against Bombardier's more established, but conservatively engineered Talent trains.
The GySEV (Győr–Sopron–Ebenfurti Vasút Rt.) line (connecting two Hungarian and one Austrian city) is managed jointly by the two states.
[edit] Rural service changes 2007
On 7 December 2006, as part of a broader economic restriction package, the Hungarian government announced its intention to stop operation on 14 regional lines with a total length of 474 km. The first plans of János Kóka, Minister of the Economy and Transport, were more radical with abandoning 26 lines (or 12 % of the entire network) but they were met with strong opposition from the local municipalities, parliamentary opposition parties and civil organizations. The main opposition party claimed that these measures are directed against the countryside, especially the small villages. The government claimed that the trains would be replaced by the Volán bus company's routes, which will increase speed and reduce expenses. The issue was heavily politicized. Since the government wanted to avoid costly environmental protection and recultivation regulations, the railway lines will not be formally ceased, with the tracks removed, just the service suspended indefinitely. Due to widespread metal theft activity in Hungary, this effectively means the tracks are "written off".
On 4 March 2007 service was suspended on 14 lines: Pápa-Környe, Pápa-Csorna, Zalabér-Zalaszentgrót, Lepsény-Hajmáskér, Sellye-Villány, Diósjenő-Romhány, Kisterenye-Kál-Kápolna, Mezőcsát-Nyékládháza, Kazincbarcika-Rudabánya, Nyíradony-Nagykálló, Békés-Murony, Kunszentmiklós-Dunapataj, Fülöpszállás-Kecskemét and Kiskőrös-Kalocsa.
On 20th April 2007, the Index news webportal published material from internal MÁV studies, which indicate the new company leadership and the government intend to close ALL small regional railway lines after 2008, in order to eliminate sources of reincurring unfinanced expenses (the to-be closed lines's expenses are ten times bigger as their incomes) at MÁV. This would leave only the international railway lines and large rural town routes running.
[edit] Railway stations
[edit] Budapest
[edit] Miskolc
[edit] Statistics
- Railway lines total: 7,606 km
- Standard gauge: 7,394 km
- Broad gauge: 36 km
- Narrow gauge: 176 km
Note: The standard and broad gauge railways are operated by the State Railways and also the following narrow gauge railways: Nyíregyháza-Balsai Tisza-part/Dombrád; Balatonfenyves-Somogyszentpál; Kecskemét-Kiskunmajsa/Kiskőrös and the Children's Railway in Budapest. All the other narrow gauge railways are run by State Forest companies or local non-profit organisations. See also Narrow gauge railways in Hungary.
[edit] Prices
Please note: some lines only have 2nd class seating.
Ticket prices on InterCity lines (faster and more comfortable) are a bit more expensive because passengers have to reserve a seat (520 Ft on 2nd class) and/or have to buy a supplemental ticket. If you have to transfer from az IC line to a supporting IC line, called InterPici (lit. InterTiny), reservation for the IP is free.
The current railway fares are a result of two separate price increases in 2007, first 16% starting with 1st January 2007 and a further 17% starting 1st May 2007. These changes artificially brought railway ticket prices to parity with fares of Volán, the state-run long distance coach bus system.
After the recent price increases, it is now cheaper to ride a private automobile if two or three people congregate and share the cost, compared to riding a train. This has been criticized by the political opposition from an environmental point of view. It should also be noted, that private car ownership or access is NOT yet universal in Hungary, many of the lower class city-dwellers and villagers rely on public transport exclusively.
[edit] Reductions
Students with valid Student Card and children between the age of 6 and 14 can get tickets 50% (before 2007 67.5%) cheaper. Those under 26 years from EU countries may have a discount of 33%. Children under 6 years and seniors over 65 years from EU countries may travel without charge.
There are further discounts as well for families, kindergartner and student groups, group of children in state care, civil servants, pensioners, sportspeople for competitions, the blind with their companion, hearing-impaired persons, backward children with companion, handicapped people from old people's homes with their companions or visitors, war invalids and war widows, and anyone going to officially published events.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official site of MÁV
- Official site of MÁV-Start
- Official site of MÁV-Cargo
- Timetables
- Map
- Budapest public transport map
