Debrecen4U October 29, 2026

Preparations Begin for Renovation of Mátészalka–Debrecen Railway Line

As announced by Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy on Facebook, preparations are under way for the renovation of the railway between Mátészalka and Debrecen, with construction work already set to begin on sections closer to Debrecen. The aim is to replace the extremely slow current rail connection with a truly competitive railway service.

“We will rebuild the track between Debrecen and Apafa to accommodate speeds of up to 160 km/h, while planning for further improvements between Apafa and Mátészalka will get under way,” Dávid Vitézy announced on his Facebook page. He said the plans include a complete track renovation, electrification, and modern platforms and stations as far as Nyíradony. The possibility of using battery-powered multiple units on the route towards Mátészalka is also being examined.

“With these improvements, journey times between Mátészalka and Debrecen could fall to 1 hour and 20 minutes, while the old diesel trains could be replaced by modern low-floor multiple units. The Gábor Baross Railway Development Plan is not just about Budapest and the main lines: we must finally begin improving rail services in the countryside, too,” he said.

Source and photo credit: dehir.hu