A new railway line is being built, and until then, starting from October 19, replacement buses will carry passengers between Debrecen and Nagykereki, MÁV Information announced on Wednesday via MTI, citing the CATL battery factory developments as the reason.
The railway company stated: “According to government plans, the 106 railway line will receive a new alignment that better suits the job-creating investments taking place in the region.”
According to the information:
-
During the demolition of the affected section of the old line, and while preparations and construction of the new alignment are underway, train traffic between Debrecen and Nagykereki will be temporarily suspended from October 19. Replacement buses will carry passengers instead of trains.
-
The timetable of the replacement buses will be adjusted to the travel needs of the local population, and travel time may even be shortened by up to half an hour compared to the usual train journeys.
Train service on the line is expected to resume once the Debrecen–Berettyóújfalu–Biharkeresztes–Oradea railway connection is completed.
The temporary suspension of train traffic was explained by the fact that in the next phase of the Debrecen Southern Industrial Zone, “the CATL battery factory will also carry out developments on the state-owned land used by the 106 railway line.”
Handover requires demolition of a section of track and embankment, as well as land restoration, which must begin in October to ensure deadlines are met.
MÁV Group has also coordinated the introduction of replacement buses for the initial period of traffic suspension with the affected mayors of the region, who supported the temporary traffic arrangement, the statement said.
They added: accordingly, the currently operating average of 20 daily train services will be replaced with buses, which have already been running on the line since 2022–2023, currently replacing 11 daily trains.
From October 13, buses will run hourly from early morning until late evening between Debrecen and Nagykereki railway stations, with additional partial and express services. Travel opportunities will also remain available at dawn and late at night.
Modern, air-conditioned, environmentally friendly buses equipped with Euro 6 engines that comply with stricter emission standards will be used for replacement. Most of the buses will connect with Tokaj InterCity and Nyírség InterCity trains.
Travel times compared to the current ~100-minute train journey:
-
S506 buses (stopping at all stations) – 78 minutes
-
G506 buses (skipping Derecske) and X506 buses (running on the M35 motorway during peak hours) – 72 minutes
-
Z506 buses (peak-hour short-route services) – only 56 minutes
Stops will remain unchanged, with one exception: in Konyár, instead of the railway station, buses will stop at the more easily accessible Konyár, Sóstói utca 14 stop.
According to the announcement, the Debrecen–Nagykereki line will be revived when the Debrecen–Berettyóújfalu–Biharkeresztes–Oradea railway connection is completed.
“According to the development plans, as part of the large-scale investment – in some sections built for speeds up to 160 km/h – the 106 line will also receive a new alignment, running parallel to the Debrecen–Oradea railway line for approximately 11 kilometers between Debrecen and Sáránd,” the statement concluded.
Chinese mega-factory forces closure of one of Hungary’s most successful railway lines
(MTI)
