The withholding and diversion of EU funds is significantly hampering the ambitious railway development plans outlined in the 10-year railway development strategy drawn up by the Ministry of Construction and Transport (ÉKM) and the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV Group). However, this artificial shortage of funds can only slow down the development of the Hungarian railways, not prevent it, the Ministry of Construction and Transport wrote in a statement on Thursday.
Under the leadership of Minister János Lázár, the transport administration is not sitting idly until Hungary can recover every last euro cent of EU funds. If necessary, the transport company will push down prices, for example through negotiations with large suppliers and so-called price reductions, the statement said.
If necessary, they will also buy or lease used vehicles. And if necessary, they will also take out loans to strengthen strategic points on the Hungarian railway network.
Accordingly, Hungary will take out a €1 billion loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), which will be supplemented by €1 billion in national funds.
This means that investments totaling approximately HUF 800 billion (EUR 2,060.5 million) can begin as early as 2026, which will have a positive impact on entire regions and the entire country’s railway network.
As announced, this money will be used to carry out interventions and modernize sections that will have a multiplier effect, meaning they’ll have an impact beyond themselves. By improving the capacity of individual railway lines or increasing track speeds, they will be able to systematically improve timetable reliability.
As a result of the total investment volume of the Ministry of Construction and Transport and the MÁV Group, approximately 1,000 kilometers of railway infrastructure will be modernized, including track renovation, electrification, elimination of slow signals (removal of speed restrictions), and IT-related developments.
The money is finally here! It would have taken deliberate sabotage for Hungary not to receive it, as we submitted an excellent application. Of course, there were those who wanted to sabotage it…”
– reads the summary.
The same people who are preventing the recovery of suspended EU funds would have blocked this money from the Hungarian people as well, said ÉKM, adding that we had specific information that the Tisza Party’s people in Brussels had pulled out all the stops to scupper the loan in the final round of decision-making. They were able to prevent two smaller project elements. But overall, they were unsuccessful: common sense and common (European) economic interests prevailed, wrote ÉKM.
Via MTI; Featured image: Pixabay
The post EU “Sabotage Attempt” to Thwart Railway Development Fails appeared first on Hungary Today.
