Passengers travelling to and from Debrecen could benefit from a new generation of InterCity trains by the end of the decade, following the Hungarian government’s announcement that it plans to purchase at least 35 new InterCity trainsets using European Union funding.
According to Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy, the acquisition will be made possible through a recently concluded €16.4 billion agreement with the European Union. The investment would allow Hungary to buy completely new passenger trains for the first time in many years.
Under current plans, the new trains will operate on some of the country’s busiest long-distance rail corridors, including the Budapest–Debrecen–Nyíregyháza–Miskolc InterCity route, which serves eastern Hungary’s largest cities. Services on the Budapest–Szeged and Budapest–Pécs lines are also expected to receive the new rolling stock.
The double-decker trainsets are expected to provide capacity comparable to nearly 200 existing InterCity passenger coaches, representing one of the most significant fleet renewal projects in Hungary’s railway sector in decades.
If the procurement process proceeds according to schedule, a public tender could be launched later this year, with the first trains entering service in 2029.
The planned fleet would feature modern accessibility standards, air-conditioned interiors, and upgraded passenger amenities, replacing part of Hungary’s ageing InterCity rolling stock.
For Debrecen, one of the country’s most important railway hubs, the investment could significantly improve long-distance rail travel connections with Budapest and other major regional centres.
Vitézy argued that the project demonstrates the importance of EU funding for major transport developments and said the planned procurement would mark a major step forward in modernising Hungary’s passenger rail services.
