Hungary - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services

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Introduction

This list is based on the timetable dated from 10 December 2023 to 14 December 2024. Standard abbreviations are explained here. The MAV timetable contains a number of non-standard notes; for details see General Information - Additional Notes on reading the Timetable.

Map references for each route entry are given in parentheses ( ). References prefixed "ERA-E" refer to the European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "ERA-R" refer to the European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Hungary) by M.G. Ball.

Obscure services

Almásfüzitő avoiding line: Tata – Almásfüzitő felső

[1] (ERA-E 96B3-B4; ERA-R 207B3) HU24/1

Almásfüzitő station is on a loop separated from the main line by some sidings. The avoiding line is used by trains not calling at Almásfüzitő, although no wavy line is shown in the table indicating this.

Újpalota (Angyalföldi elágazás) – Angyalföld

[2] (ERA-E 99C4; ERA-R 214C2) HU24/2

Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.


This line, running south east - north west, links the line from Rákos with that to Esztergom. It is used by the S76 half hourly suburban service between Rákos and Pilisvörösvár.

Celldőmőlk avoiding line: Külsővat (Vinár elágazás) – Boba (Celldömölk-Rendezö)

[10, 25] (ERA-E 96C2; ERA-R 206C1) HU24/3

This east <=> south curve avoiding Celldőmőlk was used by one summer dated train pair in 2018-2019. There are no trains in the current timetable.

Boba avoiding line: Kemenespálfa (Jánosháza elágazás) – Kerta (Kerta elágazás)

[20, 25] (ERA-E 96C2; ERA-R 206C1) HU24/4

This south <=> east curve avoiding Boba is used by direct IC trains between Budapest Deli and Zalaegerszeg via Veszprém.

Érd felső (Érd elágazás) – Tárnok

[30a] (ERA-E 99C4; ERA-R 214B1) HU24/5

This link between the Székesfehérvár and Sárbogárd lines provides an alternative to the Budapest - Székesfehérvár line via Erd alsó. Doubling of the latter route, completed in September 2013, has relieved the pathing pressures previously experienced, nevertheless this link is still used by an hourly local service between Kőbánya-Kispest and Székesfehérvár which calls at Érd felső. In the summer 2024 section of table 30a a few trains in each direction are booked via this route (non-stop trains with a | marking at Érd felső), although punctuality may affect the route taken by non-stop trains.

Érd - Érd alsó

[40a] (ERA-E 99C4; ERA-R 214B1) HU24/6

This newly constructed curve was completed by December 2022 but blocked out of use until a limited service commenced from 28 August 2023.

SSuX O8099 Dombóvár - 05:49 Érd - Budapest-Déli
SSux E4099 Sárbogárd - 06:49 Érd - Budapest-Déli
SSux E4197 Pusztaszabolcs - 07:49 Érd - Budapest-Déli

Kőbánya felső - Rákos (via low level tracks)

[30, 30a, 80a] (ERA-E 99C4-C5; ERA-R 214A2) HU24/7

This route runs from the south side of Kőbánya felső station to the north side of Rákos station via the low level lines.

Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.


From travellers' reports it seems likely that this route is used by trains from Eger to Budapest Keleti and possibly other westbound trains from Hatvan as well. It is likely that the routing is at the signallers' discretion. The compilers would be grateful for confirmation of any other use by trains to or from Keleti.

Rákos – Rákos elágazás

[2] (ERA-E 99C4; ERA-R 214C2) HU24/8

Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.


This east - north curve is used by the S76 suburban service between Rákos and Pilisvörösvár, on the Esztergom line.

Budapest-Ferencváros - Kőbánya felső

[30, 30a, 80a] (ERA-E 99C4; ERA-R 214A1) HU24/9

This east - west route enables trains to avoid Budapest Keleti.

Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.


It is used by the following summer dated train pairs to and from the Lake Balaton area.

D Note 1 Ex15607 Miskolc-Tiszai - 08:42 Gödöllő - Fonyód
D Note 1 Ex15606 Fonyód - 18:16 Budapest Kelenföld – Miskolc-Tiszai
D Note 1 Ex18702 Szob - 08.45 Kőbánya felső – Fonyód
D Note 1 Ex18703 Fonyód - 18.55 Budapest Kelenföld – Szob

Note 1: Tables 30 and 30a show the arrival times for Ex15606 and Ex18703 at Budapest Kelenföld. Full timings at all calling points are available on the elvira.mav-start.hu journey planner.

Százhalombatta - Iváncsa (Ercsi elágazás)

[40, 40a] (ERA-E 96C4; ERA-R 214B1-207C1) HU24/10

This line bypasses Dunai Finomító and Ercsi stations. It is used by trains between Budapest and Pusztaszabolcs not calling at those stations.

Dombóvár avoiding line: Dombóvár alsó – Kaposszekcsős (Dombóvár elágazás)

[40, 41] (ERA-E 97B3; ERA-R 212B3) HU24/11

This west <=> south curve is used by trains between Kaposvár and Pécs which do not call at Dombóvár. The platforms at Dombóvár alsó are on the curve so trains which start/terminate/reverse here do not connect with the line towards Kaposvár.

FO IR19697 Győr - 11:48 Kaposvár - Pécs
D SuO IR19695 Győr - 17:48 Kaposvár - Pécs
D Daily in summer IR18803 Keszthely - 18:10 Kaposvár - Pécs
IR9603 Győr - 19:42 Kaposvár - Pécs
D SuO IR19693 Győr - 21:42 Kaposvár - Pécs
IR9602 Pécs – 07:19 Sásd – Győr
D Daily in summer IR18802 Pécs – 09:00 Sásd – Keszthely
FO IR19696 Pécs – 14:54 Szentlőrinc – Győr

Istvántelek (Rákospalota elágazás) – Újpalota (Angyalföldi elágazás)

[70, 30a] (ERA-E 99C4; ERA-R 214C2) HU24/12

Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.


This curve, running north east - south east, links the main line out of Budapest Nyugati with that out of Budapest Keleti. The the route is used by the following summer services. Please note that both services call at Kőbánya felső but these calls are only shown on the elvira.mav-start.hu journey planner.

D EX18702 Szob - 08:22 Rákospalota-Újpest - Fonyód
D EX18703 Fonyód – 19:14 Kőbánya felső – Szob

Cegléd avoiding line: Ceglédi szállások (Nyársapát elágazás) – Abony (Abony elágazás)

[82, 140] (ERA-E 98C1; ERA-R 208B1) HU24/13

This east <=> south curve avoiding Cegléd is no longer used, as the pair of dated services between Miskolc-Tiszai and Szeged, which were run primarily for students, ceased on 14 June 2021 and have not re-started.

Szolnok avoiding line: Abony (Paládics-puszta elágazás) – Abonyi út (Újszász elágazás)

[82, 100a] (ERA-E 98C1; ERA-R 208A1) HU24/14

This west <=> north curve avoiding Szolnok is no longer used, as the pair of dated services between Miskolc-Tiszai and Szeged, which were run primarily for students, ceased on 14 June 2021 and have not re-started.

Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.


Eger-Rendező: Eger-Rendező elágazás – Eger-Rendező – Eger

[87a] (ERA-E 98B2; ERA-R 208C3) HU24/15

The single line approaching Eger from the south splits to serve a substantial goods yard [Rendező] which potentially provides alternative bi-directional routes for arrivals and departures. The direct route is approximately 2.4km and the route via Eger-Rendező is a little over 2.5km. Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.


In the 23/24 timetable nearly all trains from Maklár to Eger are booked to take 9 minutes, with a few taking 10, so it is unlikely any of them are booked via Eger-Rendező. Departures at or around xx:08 from Eger to Maklár are booked 11 minutes, except the 07:05 which is booked 14 minutes and crosses an arrival into Eger due 07:08 (The equivalent train 07:02 from Eger was confirmed in May 2019 as running via Eger Rendező). Departures at even xx:42 from Eger are booked 14 minutes to Maklár and cross services that depart Maklár at xx.39 and arrive into Eger at xx.48.
Observations would be welcomed by the compilers.

Miskolc-Tiszai avoiding line: Miskolc-Rendező – Miskolc-Gömöri

[92/80] (ERA-E 98B2; ERA-R 209A4) HU24/16

This curve links the main line from Budapest with the line northwards to Sajóecseg. It is used by a new service which commenced on 5 April 2022.

SuO EX 15403 Kazincbarcika - 16:57 Miskolc-Gömöri - Budapest Keleti

Zalaegerszeg avoiding line: Zalaegerszeg-Ola (Zalaszentiván elágazás) – Zalaegerszeg-Ola (Andráshida elágazás)

[25] (ERA-E 97A1; ERA-R 211B5) HU24/17

The physical junction at Zalaegerszeg-Ola is west of the station, with one platform face for the line to Zalaegerszeg station and the other for the avoiding line. It is therefore necessary to travel west of Zalaegerszeg-Ola for full coverage.

Note A E 1246 Budapest-Déli - 23:08 Ajka - Rijeka/Koper

Note A: 21 June - 31 August 2024. Note the return working is booked via Zalaegerszeg to reverse

In summer 2020 and 2021 this curve was used by the RegioJet Praha - Rijeka service but in summer 2022 it was rerouted via Budapest and Gyékényes. In summer 2023 the train ran non-stop between Bratislava Nove Mesto and Celje implying a change back to running via Hegyeshalom, Csorna and Szombathely suggesting it resumed via Zalaszentivan (where it would reverse) and this curve. From 17 September 2023 the service was provided by bus and it appears as at January 2024 that this change is permanent.

Other sparse services

The following lines have few trains (relative to service levels generally in this country) - fewer than four trains each way on at least three days a week - or do not run each weekday.

H1 Gyékényes - Koprivnica (Croatia)
14 Szany-Rábaszentandrás — Csorna
25 Ὂriszentpéter - Hodos (Slovenia)
87 Eger — Szilvásvárad
98 Abaújszántó – Hidasnémeti (currently bus substituted)
103 Karcag — Tiszafüred (currently bus substituted)
105 Nyírábrány - Valea lui Mihai (Romania)
114 Mátészalka — Csenger (currently bus substituted)
121 Újszeged — Mezőhegyes (currently bus substituted)
125 Mezőhegyes - Battonya (currently bus substituted)
128 Kötegyán - Salonta (Romania)
142 Hetényegyháza - Lajosmizse
146 Lakitelek – Kunszentmárton (currently bus substituted)
147 Orosháza - Szentes

Deletions since previous edition

S2 Hidasnémeti – Košice (Slovakia) Now has 2 hourly service.
115 Tiborszállás - Carei (Romania) Service ceased on 9 December 2023.

See also