After talks with Szeged Mayor Laszlo Botka, Lazar said construction of the BYD plant, to be the biggest car plant in Hungary, was progressing at a faster than expected pace. The first vehicles should roll off the line in the second half of 2025, he added.

By the time production starts, road, railway and utilities infrastructure upgrades will be completed, he said.

With the cooperation of Serbia and China, the nearby border crossing at Roszke will be expanded to become the biggest road freight and rail cargo crossing in the Schengen zone, he added.

A four-lane road will be built connecting the plant to the M43 motorway, while two other access roads will be expanded. A railway terminal will be built nearby, while the rail line between Szeged and Kiskunfelegyhaza, to the north, will be rebuilt at a cost of HUF 175bn.

Lazar said railway developments were expected to be financed with a EUR 2.2bn loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). He added that the Roszke border crossing would be expanded with Chinese cooperation and credit.

Lazar said 10,000 people would work at the plant, requiring upgrades of Szeged's public transport. He added that HUF 2bn would be allocated immediately to extend the lifespan of Szeged's bridge over the Tisza.

Lazar said the number of cars produced in Hungary annually would rise to 1 million within three years.

Mayor Botka said the municipal council had been working in close cooperation with the central government to prepare for the construction of the BYD plant for a year. He added that there was "full consensus" on the investment among civic leaders and residents.

Source: 
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.

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