The country’s second largest and second busiest railway station has been completely closed to rail traffic since early February and trains are expected to serve it again from April.

However, contrary to Budapest’s other two major railway stations, Déli pályaudvar is not included in the latest government resolution on transport development, issued in November. According to an official statement, the government has called upon the Minister of National Development to examine all possibilities and cosult NGOs, municipalities and economic actors on the matter.

Some days earlier, Budapest mayor István Tarlós said that he would personally support the closure of the railway station, which serves an average of 10 to 12 000 passengers daily, but deciding on the issue is not his capacity.

Déli pályaudvar had retained its dominant position despite the inauguration of the capital’s new M4 metro line, connecting the Kelenföld railway station in a suburban area of southern Buda with Keleti pályaudvar in Pest.

The permanent closure of Déli pályaudvar was also proposed during the previous Socialist government headed by Ferenc Gyurcsány but was taken off the agenda due to the financial crisis.

Source: hungarytoday.hu

Republished with permission