Debrecen4U January 29, 2026

Reconstruction of Debrecen’s Main Station Kicks Off with Underpass Upgrade

The renovation of Debrecen’s Main Railway Station has long been on the agenda, as stated by Minister of Construction and Transport János Lázár last December. At the time, he said that he “would be happiest if the Debrecen railway station could be renovated in such a way that the railway area remains under the management of MÁV, while the underutilized areas of the station are placed under the operation of private operators.”

On Médiacentrum Debrecen’s program HírPONT Extra, MÁV CEO Zsolt Hegyi said that the first half of the project is the renovation of the railway operational section is, which could be launched in the coming years. “We are currently working on renovating the underpass for two reasons: its technical condition is not what one would expect from a 21st-century underpass, and due to its condition, trains are also forced to pass over it at lower speeds.”

A 21st-century European railway station ensures people receive the necessary services while waiting for trains or after getting off them, he emphasized.

As Westend and KÖKI shopping centers in Budapest have already proven, the synergy between railway stations and shopping centers does indeed strengthen each other’s traffic. “This is exactly the case, and it leads to another fortunate circumstance: if a truly profitable commercial facility is established at a railway station, we can attract private capital into the renovation of the station. Our plan is precisely to have a substantial part of station renovation costs covered by whoever builds a shopping center there,” Hegyi highlighted.

The goal is for this program to be launched as soon as possible. “We hope that Debrecen can be part of the first round in which we select the stations where there is a real opportunity for progress through the involvement of private capital, specifically for the renovation of the station building.”

The sale of the 6,700-square-meter MÁV Office Building was also discussed. “We no longer make use of this facility as we did previously. We can accommodate office staff at the station or in another building, so we felt that the time had come to sell this building. According to the rules of the Hungarian National Asset Management Company, state-owned buildings may be sold. We will first put the MÁV Office Building up for sale and see what offers we get, and then the ministry as the owner will be able to decide whether it will indeed be sold,” Hegyi said.

Source and photo credit: dehir.hu