From October 13, passenger train service will end on the branch line connecting Debrecen and Nagykereki, the Railway Workers’ Union (VSZ) announced.
According to the union, the closure of Sáránd and Pocsaj-Esztár stations required a rapid solution for the affected railway workers. Of the 11 employees involved, ten were able to find new jobs, while one resigned.
The railway line connecting Debrecen and Nagyvárad opened in 1894, but after the Treaty of Trianon, it became a dead-end at Nagykereki. Several plans to electrify and extend the 52-kilometer line were drafted over the decades, but none were realized.
In 2015, with municipal cooperation, the platforms and bus stops were renovated for nearly half a billion forints, and MÁV-Start tried to boost traffic with modern trains and a new timetable. These improvements increased passenger numbers by 48%, and the Nagykereki section was briefly considered a model project for branch line development. In 2021, even a tram-train connection between Debrecen and Nagyvárad was proposed.
According to VSZ sources, passenger train service is now being discontinued on the line due to construction of the CATL battery factory in Debrecen. Bus services will replace train transport in the future.
Photo: VSZ
