Budapest Keleti station

Summary

Budapest Keleti station (Hungarian: Keleti pályaudvar; "eastern railway station") is the main international and inter-city railway terminal in Budapest, Hungary.

Budapest Keleti station

Keleti pályaudvar
Budapest Keleti viewed from the west
General information
LocationKerepesi út 2-4
1087 Budapest
Hungary
Coordinates47°30′01″N 19°05′02″E / 47.50028°N 19.08389°E / 47.50028; 19.08389
Elevation116 metres (381 ft)
Owned byHungarian State Railways (MÁV)
Line(s)
Platforms7
Tracks13
ConnectionsMetro:
Tram: 24
Construction
ArchitectGyula Rochlitz
Other information
IATA codeXXQ
Websitewww.mavcsoport.hu/mav-start/belfoldi-utazas/vasutallomas/budapest-keleti
History
Opened16 August 1884; 139 years ago (1884-08-16)
Services
Preceding station MÁV START Following station
Kelenföld
towards München Hbf
Railjet Express Terminus
Kelenföld
towards Zürich HB
Terminus InterCity Szolnok
towards Arad
Szolnok
towards Békéscsaba
Szolnok
towards Braşov
Szolnok
Hatvan
towards Košice
InterCity
Hatvan
towards Budapest Nyugati via Tokaj
Kelenföld
towards Graz Hbf
InterCity Terminus
Kelenföld
towards Gyékényes
Kelenföld
towards Kaposvár
Kelenföld
towards Ljubljana
Kelenföld
towards Pécs
Kelenföld
towards Sopron
Kelenföld
towards Split
Kelenföld
towards Szentgotthárd
Kelenföld
towards Wien Hbf
EuroCity
Szolnok
towards Chop
Szolnok
towards Cluj Napoca
Kelenföld EuroNight
Kálmán Imre
Terminus
Ferencváros
towards Wien Hbf
Dacia–Corvin Express Szolnok
Terminus Sebesvonat Gödöllő
towards Balmazújváros
IR 85 Gödöllő
towards Gyöngyös
IR 87 Gödöllő
towards Eger
Ferencváros
towards Tatabánya
G10 Terminus
Terminus G60 Kőbánya felső
towards Szolnok
Z60
S60 Kőbánya felső
towards Sülysáp
S80 Kőbánya felső
towards Füzesabony
Location
Keleti pályaudvar is located in Budapest
Keleti pályaudvar
Keleti pályaudvar
Location within Budapest
The inscription "Keleti Palyaudvar" visible on the main facade in Hungarian means "Eastern Station".

The station stands where Rákóczi Avenue splits to become Kerepesi Avenue and Thököly Avenue. Its name in 1891 originates not only from its position as the easternmost of the city's rail termini, but for its original role as a terminus of the lines from eastern Hungary including Transylvania, and the Balkans. In contrast, the Nyugati (western) railway station used to serve lines toward Vienna and Paris.

Architecture edit

The building was designed in eclectic style by Gyula Rochlitz and János Feketeházy and constructed between 1881 and 1884. The main façade is adorned with two statues depicting James Watt and George Stephenson. Inside the station are frescos by Karoly Lotz.[1]

Budapest Keleti has seven platforms serving thirteen tracks.[2]

Services edit

As of the July 2023 timetable change, the following services stop at Budapest Keleti:[3][4]

  • Railjet: services to Zürich HB and München.
  • EuroCity: services to Wien and Cluj Napoca.
  • InterCity: services to Arad, Békéscsaba, Braşov, Timişoara Nord, Košice, Budapest Nyugati (via Tokaj), Graz, Gyékényes, Kaposvár, Ljubljana, Pécs, Sopron, Split, and Szentgotthárd.
  • Overnight trains:
  • Sebesvonat: service to Balmazújváros.
  •   /   /  : three trains per hour to Gödöllő, half-hourly service to Vámosgyörk, and hourly service to Gyöngyös and Eger.
  •  
    The EuroCity 345 "Avala" train on the Wien Hauptbahnhof - Beograd route is standing at the Budapest Keleti station on January 26, 2016. A WRmz dining car is visible in the foreground. A series 1047 electric locomotive is barely noticeable in the distance.
      /   /  : frequent service to Sülysáp; some trains continuing to Nagykáta or Szolnok.

Metro edit

Keleti pályaudvar metro station has been a station on the M2 (East-West) line of the Budapest Metro since the line opened in 1970. The metro station is 14 metres (46 ft) underground and 193 metres (633 ft) in length with the platform 180 metres (590 ft). In March 2014, Line 4 opened making Keleti a transfer point between the two Metro lines.[5]

Airport edit

A planned fast train service would connect the station with Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport. Since 36 of 53 Intercity services to Budapest operate from this railway station, it seems highly probable that this plan will materialize.

Baross tér redevelopment edit

The facade of Budapest Keleti faces onto a large three-sided plaza called Baross tér. In 2005, work began to construct a pedestrian concourse and exits to allow better access between the Keleti pályaudvar Station on Budapest Metro Line 4 and long-distance train facilities. The statue of Gábor Baross, for whom the square is named, was returned to its location in December 2013 and work completed in March 2014.[6]

Public transport edit

Budapest Keleti railway station is located in the eighth district of Budapest, Hungary.

  • Metro:      
  • Tram:   24
  • Trolleybus:   73, 76, 78, 79, 80, 80A
  • Bus:   5, 7, 7E, 8E, 20E, 30, 30A, 108E, 110, 112, 133E, 230
  • Nocturnal lines:   907, 908, 931, 956, 973, 990

In popular culture edit

The station is featured in the opening sequence of the 2011 film, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

The railway station appeared briefly in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Widow.

References edit

  1. ^ "Keleti Train Station". Budapest City Guide.com. Archived from the original on 2016-11-09. Retrieved 2014-12-02.
  2. ^ "Budapest-Keleti" (in Hungarian). MÁV Group. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  3. ^ "1 Budapest — Hegyeshalom — Rajka" (PDF) (in Hungarian). MÁV Group. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  4. ^ "120a Budapest — Újszász — Szolnok" (PDF) (in Hungarian). MÁV Group. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Automated metro Line M4 opens in Budapest". Railway Gazette International. 28 March 2014.
  6. ^ "The statue of Gábor Baross in a worthy place again" (Press release). Mayor's Office of the Municipality of Budapest. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-02.

External links edit

  • Official website   (in Hungarian)
  • Station Overview Map
  • A picture from about 1905
  • The façade
  • More photos: (1) Archived 2006-06-29 at the Wayback Machine, (2) Archived 2006-06-29 at the Wayback Machine, (3), (4)
  • Virtual tour outside station
  • Aerial photographs of the Station