A wonderful fact about Hungary: you can get almost everywhere by public transport. Take the opportunity to travel with the people and get to see a more interesting face of the country. As foreign visitors also increasingly take advantage of public transport, it may play an important role in the attempt to protect the rather well-used but threatened railway system, as well as to realign the system in view of sustainability.

New government reactivated first railway lines on 4 July (next to a very poor timetable)
Save on train journeys: new MÁV Start Club Cards a great option for frequent travellers and foreigners living in Hungary (for occasional visits: Hungary Card)
Attention travellers over 65 and under 6: Earlier you were able to travel throughout Hungary with only a piece of identification (proof of age). From now on you are asked to obtain a free registration ticket ("regisztrációs jegy") for every single train or overland bus trip, before boarding if there is a ticket counter, or from the driver/conductor if there is no counter.
Rail Tour de Hongrie Transport policy statement, sign up by mail if you agree

The other side of the coin - certain obstacles the traveller may encounter:

• linguistic barriers (only a small proportion of staff speak excellent English, if any at all)
• traffic systems are organised in different ways and at times are less customer friendly as compared to more modern systems
• as you may expect, means of transport are frequently neither as clean nor as comfortable as in Western European average.

Our wish is that you enjoy your stay in Hungary. We hope that our tips help you to plan the best trip possible here using public transport. Finally you may choose your own priorities for your journey, e.g. 'as comfortable as possible', 'as quick as possible' or 'as cheap as possible'. Off on holiday with little to no time constraints you might well enjoy rambling across the countryside with some of the antiquated rolling stock!

Please choose from the menu the areas of your interest.

Szilvásvárad-Putnok not history? (no traffic since 14 Dec 2009, to be reactivated in summer 2010) | Some pictures from the line.

Somewhere in space. This Yesterdays music video starts with some atmospheric rail pics from Transsylvania. Hungarian progressive rock from Romania. (More music videos with railway themes in the bottom section of the Hungarian start page!)

Massive closures in 2009 - turnaround in transport policy 2010
The socialist government which effectuated the massive closures in December 2009 was voted out of office in the spring of 2010. The new center-right government reactivated the first 5 railway lines on 4 July 2010: Komárom-Székesfehérvár (5), Zirc-Veszprém (11), Pápa-Csorna (14), Tiszafüred-Karcag (103), and Lajosmizse-Kecskemét (142). Secretary of state Fónagy announced reactivation of Szilvásvárad-Putnok (87) and Abaújszántó-Hidasnémeti (92) in parliament. Press reports and experts have considered other likely canditates for reactivation: Esztergom-Komárom (3), Körmend-Zalalövő (22 - GYSEV??), Komló-Sásd (47), Aszód-Vác (77), Sáránd-Létavértes (107), Fehérgyarmat-Zajta (113), Mátészalka-Csenger (114), and Kecskemét-Fülöpszállás (152). According to oral promises the reactivation (modernisation??) of narrow-gauge networks is also amongst the intentions of the new government. Meanwhile in Nyíregyháza the council has renounced of the intended MÁV operation within city boundaries (the quote of state railways was considered too expensive).
For a more detailed summary of the developments 2007-2010, check the German main page or the Hungarian page of Tour de Hongrie (Rail).
Looking back: Following the breakup of the 2002-2009 government coalition a minority socialist government once more changed leadership of the Ministry of Economy and Transport. Previously it had been decided not to close down more lines until 2010. According to experts and NGOs this by no means represented a solution of the urgent problems of the transport sector. Unless the chance to opt for a more viable transport policy approach is used within 1-2 years, this moratorium would only have meant that unpopular decisions are being postponed until after the elections.
According to the policy of the past government a considerable number of lines were blacklisted for eventual closure, next to the lines already closed, if they are not taken over by private operators or local municipalities. Some socialist MEPs resisted, however, for reasons of local interests, and in any case no tenders had been published as intended for late 2008 in order to attain private local railway operators outside of MÁV State Railways. The new government in office from June 2010 is pro-rail and pro-MÁV but has to deal with a very limited budget.

The second Rail Tour de Hongrie took almost a week to go round the country by rail non-stop, in the last week of November 2009, including endangered and some now already closed branch lines en route. In 2007 we missed two connections due to delays, therefore the site of the last night's rest changed and arrival at Balsa took place one train later than planned. Now in 2009 no missed connection at all! Most regional trains ran perfectly in time; minor delays were handled in a way that passengers would not miss their connections. What we had to realise, however, is the frequent lack of signs and clear communication. Railway employees and fellow passengers usually are happy to help, but in case you do not speak Hungarian or if there is simply nobody to turn to, you might have a hard time finding your train, or recognising the stop where to get off.

Railway map of Hungary (PDF with Hungarian and German descriptions on back side)
Railway map of Hungary, without stops (hubs only), more track data, also maps of neighbouring countries!
Map with lines where passenger trains were recently discontinued

Lines reactivated on 4 July 2010:
* Komárom-Székesfehérvár (5)
* Zirc–Veszprém (11 - again Győr-Veszprém, from 13 Dec 2009 to 3 July 2010 only Fri-Sun reduced timetable)
* Pápa–Csorna (14)
* Tiszafüred–Karcag (103 - Lake Tisza circle complete again)
* Lajosmizse–Kecskemét (142 - Kecskemét suburbain)
Reactivation announced in Parliament:
* Szilvásvárad–Putnok (87 - Bükk Hills circle complete again)
* Abaújszántó–Hidasnémeti (98)
More or less substantial press announcements exist in view of possible reactivation of lines 3,22,45,47,77,84,107,113,114,118,119,148,149,152

Lines discontinued on 13 Dec 2009 (no miracle happened, but opposition promises re-launch)
* REMAINED with diminished traffic: Hegyeshalom-Rajka (1 - Győr-Bratislava!!!)
* Almásfüzítő–Esztergom Kertváros (3 - northern Komárom-Budapest link in Danube valley)
* Székesfehérvár–Komárom (5 - part of north-south-link, Cargo-bypass of Budapest)
* Zirc–Veszprém, diminished traffic only Fri-Sun! (11 - Győr-Veszprém, formerly Vienna-Lake Balaton)
* Körmend–Zalalövő (22)
* Balatonmáriafürdő–Somogyszob (37)
* REMAINED: Balatonfenyves–Somogyszentpál (39 - narrow gauge, last MÁV line, to be taken over by locals)
* Mezőfalva–Paks (42)
* Börgönd–Sárbogárd (45 - part of north-south-link, Cargo-bypass of Budapest)
* Godisa–Komló (47 - at Komló bus link to northern suburbs and centre of Pécs)
* Pécs–Pécsvárad (64 - formerly Pécs-Bátaszék-Baja-Subotica-Szeged)
* Galgamácsa-Vácrátót (77 - northern bypass of Budapest)
* Szilvásvárad–Putnok (87 - part of Bükk circular, most spectacular scenic railway)
* Abaújszántó–Hidasnémeti (98)
* Tiszafüred–Karcag (103 - part of Lake Tisza circular)
* Sáránd–Létavértes (107 - suburban Debrecen)
* Fehérgyarmat–Zajta (113 - formerly suburban Satu Mare)
* Kocsord alsó–Csenger (114 - formerly suburban Satu Mare)
* Tiszalök–Ohat-Pusztakócs (117)
* Nyíregyháza–Balsa/Dombrád (118-119 - narrow gauge, formerly 216 km network, partly suburban, inter-urban)
* Mezőhegyes–Battonya (125 - formerly suburban Arad)
* Kisszénás–Kondoros (126)
* Vésztő–Kőrösnagyharsány (127 - formerly suburban Oradea)
* Hódmezővásárhely–Makó (130)
* Lajosmizse–Kecskemét (142 - suburban line Budapest-Kecskemét)
* Kecskemét–Kiskörös/Kiskunmajsa (148-149 - narrow gauge)
Some other threatened lines (most of them very neglected):
* Hegyeshalom–Csorna (16 - GYSEV wants it)
* Villány–Mohács (65b)
* Balassagyarmat–Ipolytarnóc (78 - project of a Hungarian-Slovakian railway)
* Újszász–Vámosgyörk (85)
* Eger–Szilvásvárad (87)
* Szerencs-Abaújszántó (98)
* Kál-Kápolna–Kisujszállás (102)
* Sáránd–Nagykereki (106 - formerly suburban Oradea)
* Mátészalka–Záhony (111)
* Újszeged–Mezőhegyes (121b - Tisza bridge never reconstructed, RegioTram Makó project study)
* Mezőhegyes–Orosháza–Mezőtúr (125)
* Vésztő–Szeghalom–Gyoma (127)
* Szeghalom–Püspökladány (128)
* Kiskunfélegyháza–Lakitelek–Kunszentmárton (146)
* Kiskunfélegyháza–Szentes–Orosháza (147)
Lines discontinued in 2007:
* Pápa–Veszprémvarsány–Tatabánya (13)
* Pápa–Csorna (14 - GYSEV wants it)
* Zalabér-Batyk–Szentgrót (24)
* Hajmáskér–Csajág–Lepsény (27)
* Sellye–Villány (62)
* Diósjenő–Romhány (76)
* Kisterenye–Kál-Kápolna (84)
* (Miskolc–)Hejőkeresztúr–Mezőcsát (88)
* Kazincbarcika–Rudabánya (95)
* Nagykálló–Nyíradony (112)
* Murony–Békés (129)
* Kunszentmiklós-Tass–Dunapataj (151)
* Fülöpszállás–Kecskemét (152)
* Kiskőrös–Kalocsa (153)