One of the two FLIRT units that have recently arrived in Hungary has been presented to the public for the first time by representatives of the Ministry of National Development, MÁV-START Ltd. and Stadler Ltd. at the refurbished railway station of Kápolnásnyék today. Following strict technical and authority control and certification, the first new multiple unit is expected to be put into use in traffic this autumn. The forty-two new FLIRT trains to be received by autumn are to be used along the Budapest suburban railway lines. The new multiple units offer travel conditions meeting the requirements of our time; through their operation, the railway company is to save billions at the annual level.
The first two vehicles from the 42 new FLIRT multiple units have arrived from Switzerland to Hungary so the condition tests and trial runs performed under the supervision of the National Transport Authority have begun.
It is after the use permit has been issued that MÁV-START may start using the sixty-first and six-second FLIRT vehicles as scheduled trains. It is passengers travelling along the Székesfehérvár railway line that will first meet the blue-yellow-grey multiple units.
The vehicles could for the first time be inspected by railway fans interested and representatives of the media in Kápolnásnyék, exactly one year after the agreements had been signed, on 19 March, 2014.
“In 2010, the Orbán Cabinet made it clear that, in line with the EU and global trends, it was committed to the development of community transport and the railways.
Through the availability of the comfortable multiple units in transport, all the conditions will be given for even more passengers to choose railway services also in suburban traffic and for well-operating and competitive railways to be established in Hungary”, Minister of National Development Zsuzsa Németh said.
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“The refurbished railway station in Kápolnásnyék and the new multiple units are excellent examples of the responsible and visionary way of thinking that has characterised the attitude towards railways in Hungary in the past few years”, President-CEO of MÁV Ltd. Ilona Dávid added. “The transport policy of the latest times supportive of railways lays a good foundation for the development, reliable and stable operation of railway transport and the gradual improvement of service standards.
A renewing infrastructure, up-to-date ticket sale, good parking opportunities, pleasant waiting rooms, clock-face scheduling in accordance with demand, high-standard trains and good quality service: these are what we strive for at MÁV all over the country and what we are able to provide on a growing number of railway lines already”, she said.
Chief executive officer of MÁV-START Ltd. Csaba Ungvári emphasised in his address: “The new vehicles are to run along the Budapest–Székesfehérvár, Budapest–Pusztaszabolcs, Budapest–Szob, Budapest–Veresegyház–Vác, Budapest–Cegléd–Szolnok and, after the completion of the cabling, along the Budapest–Esztergom railway lines.
Almost two thirds of the trains to be used in the suburban area of Budapest are to be FLIRT vehicles. Thereby thirty-four million train trips per year, i.e. one quarter of all train trips annually, can be implemented by the modern multiple engines. The FLIRT trains already in operation have proven to be popular with passengers: along the lines where they are used, the number of passengers has grown by 6-12%.”
”Thanks to the agreement entered into last year, there will be 112 FLIRT trains in operation along Hungarian railway lines from autumn 2015”, Zoltán Dunai, Country Manager for the Stadler Rail Group pointed out. “The procurement is a milestone not only for MÁV and GYSEV but for Stadler as well, as nowhere else in the world is there such a big and uniform FLIRT-fleet.
We are proud to continue to significantly contribute to developing rail transport in Hungary. The FLIRT multiple unit is Stadler’s most successful product; in the past few years, the company has received orders for the manufacturing of almost 950 multiple units from 15 countries.”
(Ministry of National Development)
