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Hungary's rail system is one of the most extensive in Central Europe, with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. Hungary is landlocked, so the transpot system is primarily terestrial, albeit there is barge trffic on the Danube River. The Danube is the second-longest river in Europe, some 2,850 km (1,770 mi), Today, 2,415 km (1,501 mi) of its total length are navigable including the Hungarian area. The major mode of transport in Hungary is the rail system. Today many Hungarians own cars and their are modern highwys, but this is a fairly recent development. The first rail line was built during the Austrian-Empire era. Most of the development occurd during the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1866-1918). It is atthis time that a major system was developed. Before this time people might travel by stage coaches and goods by horse-drawn carts. Danube Rver barges were important, but rail quickly became the major transport mode, making possible new economonic activity as the cost of moving goods was substantially reduced. The Hungarian State Railways (Magyar Államvasutak) now commonly known as MÁV is the Hungarian national railway company. MÁV Pályaműködtetési Zrt. manages thesystem infrastructure. There are subsidiares 'MÁV Személyszállítási Zrt. (passenger opearions), and 'Utasellátó' (catering). Hungary's rail system is one of the most extensive in Central Europe, with a sustantial history dating back to the 19th century. Rail systens were invented in Britain and very quickly spread to the Continent. The country’s railway network plays a crucial role in passenger and freight transport, linking major cities and international destinations. Hungarian railways are operated primarily by MÁV (Magyar Államvasutak), the national railway company, and other private operators. There are over 7,800 km of railroad tracks, some 3,000 km are electrified. The railways are still central for domesti commuting and travel, but for a small country set in the middle an Central Europe, also for international travel The connections to Vienna, Prague, and German cities are especilly imprtant. Hungary has since the fallof Communism (189) made huge progress in modernizing the infrastructure and trains. There are new investments in high-speed trains and modernizing the many stations.
The first rail systems appear in Britain before the invention of steam power (18th century). The first steam locomotive was built by Richard Trevithick (1804). It took some time for steam locomotives to generate commrcially valuble power. Here the most famous was George Stephenson's Rocket, which won a competition (1829). Thetechnoloy began spreading to the Continent, especially Prrussia and to alesser extet France, finlly reaching Central Europe. Hungary began buiig itsforst railroad (1844). A steam locomotive railway line was opened between Pest and Vác (1846). It was the birth of Hungarian railways and widely publicize. popular Hungarian poet, Sándor Petőfi, rode on Hungary's first train. A poem he penned predicted that rails would connect Hungary 'like blood vessels in the human body'. After the failed revolutions of 1848, the Hungarian and Austrian were nationalized by the Austrian State and the new state system began opening new lines. Railroads came about for lrgely comercial reasons, but military plnnersbgan seeing obvious militay implications. And during the Franco-Austrian War in whicvh with Piedmont/Sardinia becamne involved, the French Army, under Marshal François Certain Canrobert, moved into Piedmont in the first massive military use of railways (1859). The Austrians had anticipated a quick victory over the relativelysmall and poorly equipped Piedmont Army before French forces could mobilized and reach Piedmont. Empero Napooleon II, unlike his famous great uncle was apaued by the carnage and exited the War. The Piedmontese went on to librate much of Italy an create the Italian Kingdom. As a result of the Franco-Austrian War, Austrian and Hungarian rail lines forsome reason was sold to Austrian private companies. At about the same time, the company of Ábrahám Ganz invented what they calle 'crust-casting' producing inexpensive iron railway wheels. This was a factor helping to expand railway expansion in Central Europe. Austria did not learm from the Franco-Austrian War. To the north, the Prussins understood the militay potential of the railroads. Thus when new lines were built, the Governmet assessed military implications. This immediately paid dvidends in the Austro-Prussian War decided which country was going to unify Germany (1866). The Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) further solidified Prussia's domnance and created a Geran Emire. Prussia's rapid mobilization and deployment was aided by its extensive railway network. This enabled the Prussian generalsto concentrate forces and supplies. Just as in the American Civil War (1861-65). The railroads significanty contributed to Prussia's stunning victory.
Prussia's victory in the Franco Pussian War forced Austria out of Germany (1866). It also forced political change within the Austrian Empire -- the Austro-Hungarian Compromise (1867). It was neessary to hold on to Hungary. The status of Hungary was upgraded--creating a Dual Monarchy. The Hungarian Government assumed responsibility for transport. Thisincluded theoversight local railway lines were privately owned. This proved to be very expensive. We see in the 1870s that 8 percent of Hungary's annual budget went to railway company subsidies. This was in part because the rail companies had a buiness plan based on high ticket prices and not attracting a mass ridership. Because of the massive subsidy outlays, Hungarian authrities negan to consider a State Railway. The plan was to base the new state system on Hungarian main tunk lines. The branch lines were to be operated by private companies. Parliament passed a law creating a state system --- MÁV (1884). As planned this was the nationalized the main lines. And private investors pirchased the sall branch feeder lines. The private incestors purchase or constrcted the branch lines. For the most part they did not actually operate these lines. Instead they contracted MÁV to operate them. They did not own the locomotives or other rolling stock. MÁV only offered to offer operation contrcts if the line met MÁV standards. Thus even though MÁV did not own the branch lines the system was highly standardized. Even though the Hungarian state natiolized the MÁV, they at first did not change the business lan of high prices which had necesitated the subsidy. The highticket prices meant traffic density was low. In fact lowerthan in neigboring countries. Interior Minister Gábor Baross decided this needed to be chnged. He introduced the zone tariff system (1889). This was designed to lower prices for both passengers and goods transport. The lower prives resulted not only in inceased revenue but also profuts from operations for the first time. Most private railway lines were nationalized (1890). The private/state mix was seen as inefficent. The well-managed Austrian-owned Kaschau-Oderberg Railway (KsOd) and the Austrian-Hungarian Southern Railway (SB/DV) remained pribately owned, but they also adopted the the zone ticketing system. This mix continued until the end of World War I when Austria-Hungary desintegrated. The French StEG owned line was purchased (1891). While the largest rail systens in Europe were created by Britain, FRance, Germany, and Russia, MÁV became one of the largest European railway companies. Not only was the system extensive, but it w well financed. Profitability while impoving, however, never reached the levels of Westrn European systems. This incuded both stae and privaste systems. The Hungarian railway infrastructure was largely completed after the turn-of-the 20th century. From the beginning, the Hungarian rail system was centered on Budapest. The network extended 23,000 kilometres (14,000 miles). There were some 1,490 settlements. Somewhat more than half of the oveall Austro-Hungarian Empire's railways were built in Hungary. The rai density thus was higher than in Cisleithania (Austria, Bohemia, and other Crown Lands.
The Hungarian system was the sixth most dense in the world (more dense than both the French and German systems. 【Berendp, p. 152.】
We do not yet have information on the MÁV during World War I. It would have been central to the Austro-Hungarian war effort. We suspect that the Germans may have seized control of the system.
As a result of the Allied victory in World War I, the the Trianon peace treaty, significntly reduced Hungarian territory shockingly by over 70 percent. As part of the Ausrtro-HungarianEmpire, Hungary controlled substantial areas hatwere not populated with ethnic Hugarians. The new norder were not to puish Hungary and ither german allies. ome consideration was iven to the ethnicity of the popuation. Huge areas were from Romania which had been an Allied country. Thelargestarea was Transylvania. Few Hungarian institutions were impacted more than the country's rail system. Of Hungary's 22,000 km of rail, only 8,100 km were left (13,670 to 5,059 mi). The MÁV-owned lines fellf from 7,800 km or 4,800 mi to 2,800 km or 1,800 mi). The rolling stock was so much reduced. Of 102,000 freight cars at the end of the War, only 27,000 remained in Hungary (1921). And only 13,000 were still in actual working order. The number of locomotives was mearly 5,000 in 1919, but after the peace treaty, only 1,700 remained in Hungary. Hungary faced a problem unlike any other counries. Many of MÁV's existing railway lines crossed Hungary's new borders. Most of these wee branch lines and abandoned. With the main lines, new border stations had to be constructed with the needed customs facilities and locomotive services. Major developments occurred during the inter-war era. Because of the border changes, the importance of many of the ramaning lines shifted. Between the Wars, there wre many developments associated with new conditios on the ground. The work occured on existing multiple-track lines and a second track was added to most of the main lines.
MÁV began an electrification process. Kálmán Kandó's patented a single-phase 16 kV 50 Hz AC traction. His designed MÁV Class V40 locomotive used a rotary phase converter unit. This to transformed the catenary high voltage current into multiphase current with regulated low voltage that fed the single multi-phase AC induction traction motor. Most main line cargo and passenger trains were powered by MÁV Class 424 steam locomotive. This became MÁV's workhorse in whatwas the late steam era. Beginning in 1928, 4- and 6-wheeled passenger rail cars (Class BCmot) were introduced. Fist gasoline and later diesel powered. Mpre han half of the branch lines were seved bythese railcars (1935). The remainder MÁV's passenger network remained steam-powered with the slower, moreexpensive pre-war locomotives with 3rd class 'wooden bench' carriages. Thy ere called 'fapados' a term which also behan applying to low-cost airlines). Efforts to modernize the Hungarian rail systtem was interupted by the Great Depressioin (1930s). Most private branch line operators quickly went bankrupt. DSA, the Hungarian successor to the Hungarian routes of the former Austrian-Hungarian Southern Railway, went into receivership. MÁV absorbed DSA's branch lines and property and oprated them (1932). MÁV thus became the only important operator in the country. The few remaining privte companies (GySEV, AEGV) became a minimal part of the Hugarian rail system.
As Hitler moved toward war, the situation in Hungary changed remaraably. As a country oriented toward Germany, Hungary began to gain back lost territory. The first territry regained was relatively small, part of Hitler's partioning of Czechoslovakia (1938-39). The najor gains were from Romania, part of Hitler's Second Vienna Award (1940). Here ethnicvity was not a major issue. Another small gain was frm of aftrr the Grmans ninvaded that country (1941). MÁV faced the task of to reintegrate the returned rail lines (nearly all orginally built by MÁV). everal border crossings built after 1919 were dismantled. The largest construction project associatd with these bordr changes was the Déda-Szeretfalva railway. The new border in Transylvania cut the rail network into two parts with no connection. Romania closed all the newly opened rail border crossings and blocked all Hungarian domestic traffic. Hungary joined the Axis (1940) and partiipated rather unenthusiastically in Hitler's military advetures, primarily the invasioin of the Soviet Union (1941). Late in the War, Hungay still had a substabtial Jewih poplation that only been partiall murdered. Unfer German presure, mos of the remaining Hungarin Jews concentrated in Budapest were deported to the remaining NAZI death camp at Aushwitz where most were gassed. MÁV was used to deport the victims. German adventures in the East, of course did not go well and the Red Army reached Hungarian borders (1944). Hungary was largely undamafed by the War until the Red Armyctually entered the country. It is at this time that considerable damage occurred. The country's rail system thus suffered huge damage. More than half the main lines and a quarter of the branch lines were trended inoperable. Some 85 percent of all bridges were destroyed. Much of the damge was destruction by the Hungarian ad German Armies to slow the Red Army advace. The MÁV's rolling stock was largely destroyed or seized by mostly the Romanians. MÁV was left with only 213 locomotives and 120 railcars, but because there was nofuellft, nothing was noving atthe end of the War. Only about 150 passenger cars and 1,900 freight cars were left in working order. These were seized as epoaration 'trophies' by the Red Army.
After the War, Stalin personally redrew Hungary's borders and Hungary lost all the briefly regained territories. The borders were bascally returned to pre-War kevels. MÁV had the job of rebuilding and replacing that the tracks, buildings, and equipment. This requir a major effort on a country badly damnaged by the War. The easiest part of this effort was reolacing the tarck. Bridges were a major problem. The major problem was some of the larger bridges. The first electrified section was back n service withi months (October 1945). The Red Army 'gracously' sold back the confiscated rolling stock. Locomotives were returned from Austria and Germany. Most of the railway system was operable (by 1948). MÁV purchased 510 USATC S160 Class locomotives which became MÁV Class 411.
Berend , Ivan T. History Derailed: Central and Eastern Europe in the Long Nineteenth Century (in Hungarian). (University of California Press: 2003).
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