Hungary’s seventeen transport projects require a total of HUF 110 billion in funding from the European Networking Facility (CEF2). The proposals were compiled by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (ITM). The developments worth more than HUF 430 billion include the second phase of the Southern Railway, the construction of an ultra-fast electric charging network, and the construction of three guarded truck parking lots along the M1 and M35, the ministry said in an information statement.

In the summer of 2023, the winning applications can be announced

In September, the European Commission published the first call for proposals for the European Networking Facility for Transport (which we wrote about here), with a budget of around € 7 billion. CEF2 will continue to accelerate the deployment and modernization of trans-European networks in the areas of transport, energy and digital in the new EU financial period. A new element is that it supports mobility projects for civilian and military dual-use with a separate budget.

Hungary and 14 other Member States are eligible for CEF funding in the current Cohesion National Envelope, amounting to € 802 million.

In the current financial period, 70 percent of this envelope will be set aside for each country until 2023. From 2024, the remaining 30 percent will find a host in the competition for cohesion countries. From the applications received for the current call, those eligible for funding will be selected next summer.

The government’s decision deciding on domestic project proposals was published in the Hungarian Gazette yesterday.

Important railway developments continue

One of the Hungarian tenders is the final planning, land acquisition and construction works of the second phase of the Southern Round Railway, the capacity expansion of the Kelenföld-Ferencváros railway line section. The importance of the development has been reported by our newspaper several times. A preparatory project could lay the foundations for the development of the infrastructure of twelve Transdanubian railway stations so that, in addition to providing high-quality services for civilian purposes, they can also meet the level of military mobility required by the European Union and NATO.

Guarded truck parks and electric charging stations would be built

It is included in the applications construction of safe truck parking lots at the Tatabánya Old Town and Győr exits of the M1 motorway, in the North-West Economic Zone of Debrecen with a total of up to 658 spaces.

And in the enterprise-initiated projects of the ultra-fast electric charging network

more than two hundred filling points can be built at about 70 locations. At Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport, 165 e-charging stations have been installed for ground handling vehicles, airport staff and businesses.

Another proposed development will help to ensure that, from December 2024, only noise-reduced rail freight wagons can run on the European network without restriction. By that deadline, I would replace the cast iron brake blocks of more than half a thousand wagons with quieter plastic.

Hungary previously won HUF 350 billion

In previous calls, Hungary won support for the implementation of a transport investment worth HUF 670 billion. To date, nearly HUF 350 billion of the successful ITM tenders from CEF have been used in transport developments in Hungary. Among others, the new Danube Bridge was built at Komárom, and the M15 was expanded to four lanes, making the highway connection from Budapest to Bratislava complete. The supported investments include the modernization of the Kelenföld-Pusztaszabolcs and Rákos-Hatvan railway line sections, the renovation of the Southern Connecting Railway Bridge, and the construction of the third track. CEF also covers the costs of the environmental parts of the Hungarian section of the Warsaw high-speed rail. Next year and in 2023, announcements of a similar magnitude to the current one are expected to be published.