Starting mid-May, we are increasing travel options on Fridays and Sundays with new express trains between the capital and Pécs, as well as Budapest and Debrecen–Nyíregyháza–Záhony, and Budapest–Miskolc–Kazincbarcika. Pécs will be served by the Tenkes Express, Kazincbarcika by the Sajó Express, and Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, and Záhony will be directly connected to the capital by the new Campus Express.
Thanks to Romania’s accession to the Schengen area, the stop times at border stations for several international trains will be reduced starting in May along the Debrecen–Nyírábrány and Békéscsaba–Kötegyán–Salonta routes. On the latter line, there will now be seven daily train pairs between Salonta and Hungary, making travel easier and more flexible.
With the removal of border controls at crossings shared with Romania, and as a result of consultations between MÁV and Romanian rail operator CFR Călători, waiting times at border stations will be reduced by 10–30 minutes on the Debrecen–Nyírábrány and Békéscsaba–Kötegyán–Salonta routes, with only essential operational and technical times remaining. Timetables for services like the Corona InterCity and Szamos EuroCity will be adjusted accordingly, and train frequency will be increased between Békéscsaba, Gyula, and Salonta.
In online journey planners (MÁV+ and MÁV apps, EMMA, jegy.mav.hu), passengers can already plan their trips based on the updated schedule by selecting their stations and travel dates.
Key Timetable Changes in Detail
Budapest–Székesfehérvár (Line 30a)
From May 12, G43 trains departing hourly from Kőbánya-Kispest between 13:27 and 17:27 (services 3544, 3516, 3526, 3536, and 3546) will also stop at Dinnyés, improving public transport for local residents.
Budapest–Pécs Line (Line 40)
The MÁV group has previously extended service hours in several major cities to ensure early morning and late-night travel. Until now, the last train to Pécs departed at 19:53, and the last train from Pécs at 19:14. Due to increased weekend demand, during the school term a Tenkes Express will now depart Budapest Déli at 21:15 on Fridays, and return from Pécs at 21:26 on Sundays. The train, consisting of air-conditioned, low-floor FLIRT units, especially serves students but is also a viable alternative to car travel for tourists or cultural visitors. It stops at Kelenföld, Pusztaszabolcs, Sárbogárd, Dombóvár, Sásd, and Szentlőrinc.
Budapest–Hatvan–Miskolc–Kazincbarcika (Lines 80, 92)
On school-term Fridays, a new Sajó Express directly connects Budapest and Kazincbarcika, Borsod County’s third-largest city. It departs Keleti at 16:55 and arrives at 19:28, stopping at Gödöllő, Miskolc-Gömöri, Sajóecseg, and Sajószentpéter. The modern, accessible, and air-conditioned train consists of FLIRT units.
On Sundays, the Sajó Express departs Kazincbarcika at 16:30 for Keleti, and train 5446 runs from Miskolc to Kazincbarcika at 15:48. However, both services will be suspended during the summer holiday period due to low demand.
Budapest–Debrecen–Nyíregyháza–Záhony (Line 100)
On Fridays and Sundays during school terms, the Campus Express offers direct connections: on Fridays, a FLIRT train departs Nyugati at 17:55 for Nyíregyháza (arriving at 21:20), and on Sundays a high-capacity KISS train departs Záhony at 13:03 for Budapest, arriving at Nyugati at 18:04. These new services offer more comfortable travel and help reduce crowding on existing Tokaj and Nyírség InterCity trains.
Debrecen–Nyírábrány (Line 105)
Due to Romania’s Schengen entry, international trains have shorter stop times at Nyírábrány:
-
Train 6822 from Debrecen to Satu Mare (departing at 8:16): stop time reduced by 14 minutes.
-
Szamos EuroCity (EC 686) to Baia Mare at 17:05: 15-minute reduction.
-
Corona InterCity (IC 407) to Brașov at 20:40: 29-minute reduction.
The Corona InterCity (IC 406) from Nyírábrány to Budapest now departs 5 minutes earlier. Szamos EuroCity (EC 687) from Baia Mare also departs Nyírábrány 10 minutes earlier, at 10:19.
Békéscsaba–Kötegyán–Salonta (Line 128)
MÁV aims to restore passenger transport in this region and develop the Szeged–Subotica link, as well as cross-border rail ties between the historic counties of Békés, Hajdú, and Bihar. As a first step, train frequency between Békéscsaba–Gyula–Sarkad–Salonta is being increased. From mid-May, Salonta, the birthplace of poet János Arany, will have seven daily train pairs connecting to Hungary, up from two. Waiting times at Kötegyán border station have also been reduced.
Efforts are ongoing to improve journey times on other border crossings as well. However, modernization work is currently underway on both main lines to Romania (via Biharkeresztes and Lőkösháza). Traffic toward Oradea–Cluj is suspended due to construction, and temporary schedules are in effect toward Arad and Timișoara.