Rail traffic between Vienna and Budapest was paralyzed due to the brutal collision of two freight trains
The section of track on the Budapest-Győr-Hegyeshalom line between Biatorbágy and Herceghalom was also damaged as a result of the Sunday morning accident. Travelers from Győr will still have to expect significant traffic restrictions and substitute bus transportation on Sunday, Mávinform informed in its post. The MÁV spokesperson announced that they would examine the safety equipment and found that it was not at fault, that is, the investigation did not establish MÁV Zrt.’s responsibility in any respect.
Sunday dawn on the Budapest-Győr-Hegyeshalom line between Biatorbágy and Herceghalom accident – two freight trains collided – the track section was also damaged. The rescue work has begun, first the overhead line above the derailed cars must be dismantled so that the crane can work safely. After that, they will start lifting the derailed freight cars, and then the damaged track section may also be repaired – Mávinform reported in its social media post.
“The safety device worked well during the early Sunday morning accident when freight trains collided between Biatorbágy and Herceghalom” – said the MÁV spokesperson at the press conference held at the scene of the accident on Sunday.
Biber Anett said that the investigation of the accident has taken place, which means that
the safety device worked well, there was no technical failure at the time of the accident.
“The investigation did not establish the responsibility of the MÁV group, MÁV Zrt., in any respect” – settings off.
There were no personal injuries in the accident, the damage – according to current estimates – is greater than HUF 100 million.
Biber Anett recalled: on the Budapest-Győr railway line, a freight train traveling from Biatorbágy in the direction of Herceghalom overtook him and then collided with another freight train moving in front of it.
The first freight train was transporting empty grain wagons, and as a result of the collision, seven of its wagons derailed, three of which overturned on their sides. The train that ran into this assembly weighed two thousand tons, he added. Train services are suspended on this section, replacement buses will take passengers between Biatorbágy and Herceghalom, he said.
The recovery is still ongoing, the specialists are trying to lift the derailed cars back up with a crane,
the goal is how to make them operable so that you can tow them to the nearest station, the spokesperson explained.
Biber Anett added: as a result of the accident, one track moved 40 centimeters and the other 15 centimeters from its original location. The concrete foundations were damaged, fifty of them will have to be replaced, and the rail fibers will also need to be replaced.
The spokesman said that according to the schedule, one of the tracks could be returned to train traffic on Monday with a speed limit of 40 kilometers per hour. If passengers want to exchange their tickets or submit a claim for compensation, they can do so at MÁV’s customer service, Biber Anett added.
Repairs and restoration will take a long time, so trains between Biatorbágy and Herceghalom cannot run today. A temporary timetable is valid on the Budapest–Győr–Hegyeshalom line. As the works progress, it will be possible to see when train traffic will be able to start again on a track.
Travelers in Győr will still have to expect significant traffic restrictions and substitute bus transportation on Sunday:
- Some of the international trains (EC trains diverted from the Szobi line to Rajka and EN trains) run on a detour route: Székesfehérvár and Komárom.
- RJ trains entering at the Hegyeshalmi border station run only as far as Hegyeshalom. Between Hegyeshalom and Herceghalom, passengers are transported by two uniform FLIRT motor trains. A replacement bus runs between Herceghalom and Biatorbágy, and then a passenger train provides the onward journey to Budapest. A 30-minute schedule is planned between Herceghalom and Budapest.
- Suburban and long-distance IC trains between Budapest-Győr-Hegyeshalom, Budapest-Győr-Sopron and Szombathely run with significant delays.
- Train disruptions and trains running on shorter routes should also be expected during the day.
- The S12 suburban trains from Oroszlány do not run between Déli pályaudvar and Tatabánya, or between Tatabánya and Déli pályaudvar.
- Trains S10 in Győr run between Déli railway station and Biatorbágy, and between Herceghalom and Győr, replacement buses transport passengers on the Biatorbágy–Herceghalom section.
- Based on the consultation with GYSEV, the InterCity trains from Sopron and Szombathely run with FLIRT motor trains between Sopron and Győr and Szombathely and Győr.
- On the M4 metro in the capital, BKK accepts railway passes, IDs and tickets for metro travel. Volánbusz accepts rail travel documents for scheduled bus services between Kelenföld and Bicske.
- Transilvania-Szamos EC train number 143 between Vienna and Budapest is not running. The train runs between Keleti railway station and Püspökladány. The afternoon Transilvania-Szamos EC train number 146 between Budapest and Vienna also does not run between Keleti railway station and Vienna. It runs from Püspökladány to Keleti.
The route from Vienna to Budapest runs only as far as Tatabánya:
- the Kálmán Imre EN train number 463,
- Ferenc Liszt EC No. 145,
- No. 147 Lehár EC.
- the number 149 Hortobágy EC train.
- It only runs from Tatabánya to Vienna:
- Csárdás EB No. 144,
- Semmelweis EB No. 148,
- Lehár EC No. 340,
- the 462 Kélmán Imre EN train.
Due to the accident and the situation:
- All surcharged passenger trains can be used without paying a surcharge on the entire section of the railway line.
- If you decide to cancel your trip, contact Máv Customer Service or the station ticket office with a refund request.
- Due to the current situation, international tickets linked to the train will also be accepted for other international flights operating today
The railway company apologizes and asks for patience from the passengers due to the inconvenience.