Budapest Keleti Railway Station. Hungary, 15/08/24
Budapest Keleti station (Hungarian: Keleti pályaudvar, pronounced [ˈkɛlɛti ˈpaːjɒudvɒr]; "eastern railway station") is the main international and inter-city railway terminal in Budapest, Hungary.
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
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.
Budapest Keleti has seven platforms serving thirteen tracks.
Services
As of the July 2023 timetable change, the following services stop at Budapest Keleti:
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:
Dacia-Corvin Express: service between Wien and Bucharest North.
EuroNight Kálmán Imre: service to Salzburg, Stuttgart, or Zürich.
Sebesvonat: service to Balmazújváros.
IR85 / IR87 / S80 : three trains per hour to Gödöllő, half-hourly service to Vámosgyörk, and hourly service to Gyöngyös and Eger.
G60 / Z60 / S60 : frequent service to Sülysáp; some trains continuing to Nagykáta or Szolnok.
Metro
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.
Airport
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
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.
Public transport
Budapest Keleti railway station is located in the eighth district of Budapest, Hungary.
Metro: M2, M4
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