Hungarian state railways MÁV and MÁV-START have signed a cooperation agreement with the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) to improve transport connections at the InnoTrans 2024 International Transport Exhibition in Berlin on Tuesday. The agreement covers the enhancement of both passenger and freight services, as well as collaboration in technical areas, MÁV announced on Tuesday.
The agreement, which encompasses the improvement of international passenger services, the fulfilment of maintenance tasks, and increasing the competitiveness of rail freight, was signed on behalf of Hungary by Zsolt Hegyi, CEO of MÁV Zrt, and László Mosóczi, CEO of MÁV-START Zrt, and on behalf of Austria by Andreas Matthä, Chairman of the Board of ÖBB Holding AG.
Under the agreement, the two countries’ railway companies aim to reduce the travel time between Budapest and Vienna to two hours, adjusting the timetable structure and stop patterns of international passenger trains accordingly.
Although the significant reduction in travel time is only possible after the renovation of the railway line between Hegyeshalom and Vienna, scheduled for completion in 2028, both parties will strive to implement timetable changes that will allow an increasing number of passenger trains to operate with shorter travel times, skipping stops at Hegyeshalom and Tatabánya in the meantime.
Currently, two pairs of Railjet trains cross the Hungarian-Austrian border daily without stopping at Hegyeshalom, as part of a pilot project with MÁV-START drivers. To extend this, both MÁV-START and ÖBB will jointly provide the necessary drivers and onboard staff.
ÖBB aims to introduce faster routes and new vehicles for Railjet trains departing from Budapest and travelling beyond Vienna under the new timetable model. Additionally, to improve customer satisfaction, MÁV and ÖBB will develop a quality assurance system that ensures fast and efficient communication between the companies in the event of disruptions, they announced.
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