Budapest Keleti closure diverts trains Aug 25 to Sep 20
Hungary's flagship Budapest Keleti station will shut to all rail traffic from August 25 to September 20 for track, switch, and overhead-line works. During the four-week window, long-distance, regional, and international services will divert to other Budapest train stations, primarily Budapest-Kelenföld and Nyugati pályaudvar, with limited changes affecting Déli and Kőbánya felső. Travelers should expect adjusted timetables, longer journeys, and new transfer points across the city. The operator has launched a dedicated hub with route-by-route guidance and live journey-planning tools.
Key Points
- Why it matters: A month-long Budapest Keleti closure reshapes Hungary rail across key domestic and cross-border routes.
- Travel impact: Trains shift to Kelenföld, Nyugati, and Déli, with added city transfers and longer trip times.
- What's next: Timetables update through the work period, so recheck your train the day before departure.
- Many international Railjet and EuroCity services start or end at Kelenföld.
- MÁVbus links and frequent trams connect Kőbánya felső with metro lines toward the city center.
Snapshot
From August 25 to September 20, MÁV will suspend all traffic at Budapest Keleti to complete reliability upgrades, including track, switch, and catenary renewals. The program, funded by the operator, aims to cut failures and reduce service disruptions after the works. During the closure, west- and south-bound InterCity and EuroCity services generally use Budapest-Kelenföld. Trains toward Miskolc and Nyíregyháza, and services on the Újszász-Békéscsaba axis, largely move to Nyugati. Select cross-border EuroCity trains run via Kelenföld, Ferencváros, and Kőbánya felső. MÁV has set up staffed transfer points at Kőbánya felső, Rákos, Újpest, Nyugati, and Kelenföld, and is coordinating with BKK city transit for dense bus and tram links.
Background
Keleti is Budapest's busiest long-distance hub, anchoring flows to Vienna, Prague, Bratislava, Transdanubia, and the country's northeast. The four-week suspension follows earlier summer works and concentrates high-impact tasks in one window to limit repeated disruptions. MÁV says about 400 to 450 specialists will execute the program, valued at 4.4 billion forints, to improve equipment reliability and reduce breakdowns. To maintain capacity, MÁV has re-plotted domestic InterCity, InterRégió, and suburban S-lines across multiple corridors, added MÁVbus shuttles at Kőbánya felső to reach the M2 metro at Puskás Ferenc Stadion, and boosted 37 and 37A trams toward Blaha Lujza tér. The journey-planning hub centralizes maps, transfer points, and day-by-day timetable updates for each line.
Latest Developments
International and long-distance reroutes across Budapest
Railjet, EuroCity, and EuroNight services between Budapest and Vienna will start and end at Budapest-Kelenföld during the closure. Exceptions serving eastern Hungary and onward to Ukraine or Romania, such as Hortobágy, Tisza-Szamos, and Dacia EuroCity trains, operate on a through path between Kelenföld and Kőbánya felső, with a planned stop and dwell at Ferencváros. From Western Transdanubia, Scarbantia, Savaria, Dráva, Mura, and Arrabona InterCity services switch their Budapest terminal to Kelenföld. From the south, Pécs and Kaposvár InterCity trains also use Kelenföld. On the Hatvan-Miskolc axis, Tokaj, Hernád-Zemplén, and Borsod InterCity services move to Nyugati pályaudvar, with some split operations requiring a change at Miskolc-Tiszai. East-of-Budapest Békés InterCity, InterRégió, and international IC trains route via Cegléd and terminate at Nyugati, with intermediate stops at Zugló and Kőbánya-Kispest.
City transfers and suburban changes you will feel
Kőbánya felső becomes the key suburban interchange for S80, G80, Agria, and Mátra trains on the Hatvan and Újszász lines, replacing Keleti as a turn-back point. MÁVbus links run from Kőbánya felső to the M2 metro at Puskás Ferenc Stadion with peak headways around one minute. The 37 and 37A trams add frequency toward Blaha Lujza tér for central-city connections. At Kelenföld, the M4 metro provides direct access to the inner city and easy transfers to the M3 for Nyugati and Kőbánya-Kispest. On the Székesfehérvár corridor, S-line adjustments temporarily shift some stopping patterns, and Z services cover skipped S frequencies on weekdays. Outside metro hours, replacement buses operate between Kőbánya felső and the Keleti area to preserve overnight connectivity.
How to check your train, step by step
- Use the MÁV app or MÁV+ app. Search your date and route, and note the Budapest station shown, which may be Kelenföld, Nyugati, Déli, or Kőbánya felső.
- On the web, check jegy.mav.hu for final times, platforms when published, and any transfer notes. The EMMA map planner highlights reroutes and replacement buses.
- For Railjet, EuroCity, and EuroNight journeys, confirm in ÖBB's Scotty planner as well. If your ticket had a fixed-train condition or a seat on a train that now starts at a different station, contact the issuing carrier to adjust reservations.
- Build extra time for cross-city transfers. If you are starting at Kőbánya felső, consider the MÁVbus to Puskás Ferenc Stadion or the 37 and 37A trams toward the center.
- Recheck the evening before travel, since late operational tweaks are possible during works.
Analysis
This closure temporarily resets how travelers navigate Budapest by rail. Moving international and west-, south-, and northeast-bound flows to Kelenföld and Nyugati spreads demand away from Keleti's throat, which is under intensive works. It also leverages metro access, especially M4 at Kelenföld and M3 at Nyugati, to keep trips viable with one extra transfer. The biggest friction points will be split InterCity operations around Miskolc, where a cross-platform change can add complexity for luggage-heavy travelers, and the suburban turn-backs at Kőbánya felső, which shift familiar patterns for commuters. International travelers should expect the Vienna corridor to feel the most familiar, since Kelenföld already handles heavy through traffic and offers straightforward metro links. The east-of-Budapest corridors will see the largest perceived change, with many trains funneled to Nyugati via Cegléd and Kőbánya-Kispest. Overall, MÁV's added MÁVbus and tram frequencies reduce last-mile pain, but success hinges on riders checking their train repeatedly and allowing buffer time for connections.
Final Thoughts
If you are traveling in Hungary during late August or September, assume your Budapest train station has changed, then plan your city transfer first. Verify stations and platform times in the MÁV app, and, for international trips, cross-check in ÖBB Scotty. Kelenföld and Nyugati handle most long-distance traffic, while Kőbánya felső is the suburban pivot with dense links to the M2 metro and central trams. With a little prework and extra time, your journey should remain smooth despite the Budapest Keleti closure.