Traffic at Keleti Station, where a passenger train derailed on Sunday, is expected to return to normal by Tuesday morning. MÁV’s CEO told reporters that the causes of the train derailment would be investigated later.

As DNH previously reported, five carriages of the InterCity 5 Claudiopolis train from Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár) to Budapest derailed near Keleti Station on Sunday evening, blocking traffic to and from the station. Technical rescue operations lasted until Monday morning and afternoon.

According to 24.hu, traffic at Keleti Station is expected to resume by Tuesday morning. However, it is still uncertain whether rail traffic on all tracks will be fully operational again by then. To speed up the process, experts have found a solution that avoids dismantling overhead lines, bringing in cranes and then rebuilding them. Instead, they used hoists to lift the five derailed wagons from the ground back onto the tracks.

The Hungarian Railways (MÁV) held a press conference on site, where László Mosóczi, CEO of MÁV-Start, explained that the Keleti station will be replaced by the Rákos and Kőbánya-Felső stations. However, as the capacity of these stations is much lower, train services are limited. Buses are available as an alternative, and passengers can reach Kelenföld by the M4 metro line.

MÁV estimates that up to 100,000 passengers could be affected by the delays. Hungarian Railways is not aware of any personal injuries in connection with the accident.

Ongoing rescue work near Keleti station. Photo: MÁV

The causes of the train derailment will be investigated later

Hungarian Railways has not yet released comprehensive details about the circumstances that led to the accident. However, Zoltán Pafféri, CEO of MÁV, explained that the first step is to repair the accident site. Only once this process is completed will the damage assessment and reconstruction of the accident begin.

When asked if there was a possibility that another train could have hit the derailed wagons, the manager replied: “The driver of the train coming from behind stopped the train by applying the emergency brake.”

According to Réka Németh, deputy general director for track operations at MÁV, part of the switch broke. However, it is not yet possible to say whether this caused the accident or whether the break was caused by the accident itself.

She stressed that switches are checked every month and that the switch that was broken in the accident was checked on July 30. No malfunctions were found. Németh stressed that all switches will be checked after the train derailment and that the police will also be involved in the investigation into the causes of the accident.

For more information on the train derailment and the changed public transport timetables in the region, see another DNH report HERE.

The train derailment from above at Keleti station, Hungary. Source: MÁV

A tragicomedy in the last three days of MÁV, while Lázár remains silent

In a survey conducted last weekend, 444 collected a variety of problems faced by MÁV passengers. It all started on Saturday afternoon, when a broken rail occurred between Szabadbattyán and Kiscséripuszta, paralyzing train traffic at Lake Balaton. To make matters worse, not all passengers could fit into the replacement buses.

In addition, there was a derailment in Keleti, while traffic at Nyugati station came to a standstill after an InterCity train collided with a car on the main line to Cegléd.

On Monday morning, an InterCity train from Kassa to Hatvan collided with a train on the Vác line near Felsőgöd, bringing traffic on both lines to a halt. Later that day, a track between Kőbánya-Alsó and Nyugati stations had to be closed due to a broken rail. Finally, an InterCity train from Szombathely to Budapest collided with a truck on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, bringing traffic on the North-Balaton line to a complete halt.

444 also criticised the fact that Pafféri, a high-ranking personality, only spoke out 73 hours after the series of incidents began, while the Minister responsible for Transport, János Lázár, has not yet commented on the train accidents.

Read also:

International train delays expected in Hungary next week: Czech and Slovak trains affected

Source: 24.hu, 444