Most freight trains will be stopped daily from 17:00 to 22:00 on the MÁV and GYSEV networks.
Hungary has suspended most freight train
operations on the MÁV and GYSEV networks between 17:00 and
22:00 from 3 August 2026, after the Hungarian Operational Protection Task Force
ordered restrictions during a level III heat alert.
The measure applies until further notice.
It does not cover freight trains carrying goods considered essential for the
national economy or for the continuity of critical supply chains.
© Pexels / Varga Photography
Freight trains already moving when the
restriction begins will not continue through the evening peak. They are to be
held at the first suitable station where this can be done without compromising
operational safety. After 22:00, the trains will be released progressively,
depending on traffic conditions and instructions from traffic management
centres.
The decision changes the heatwave response
from internal energy management into a direct operating restriction for rail
freight. MÁV Group had already introduced temporary railway energy-saving
measures on 31 July, including a limit on the current consumption of electric
locomotives when starting and accelerating. During the 17:00-23:00 peak period,
the draw may not exceed 75% of the nominal value.
The same package also reduces electricity
use at railway properties and facilities, including non-essential lighting and
air-conditioned spaces, while keeping railway operations, traffic safety,
passenger safety and critical IT and communication systems at full capacity.
For freight operators, the market impact is
concentrated in the evening operating window. The restriction removes five
hours of normal freight movement each day on the affected Hungarian networks,
with exemptions tied to the cargo’s role in critical supply chains rather than
to a specific operator or route.
© Pexels / Nikolai Kolosov
Passenger services are not affected. The
operational pressure point will come after 22:00, when held freight trains are
released back into the network under traffic management instructions.
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