GySEV Secures 5-Year Rail Contract Extension in Hungary

GySEV secures a five-year extension to maintain and operate 1,195 km of Hungarian rail lines, ensuring operational stability for a key freight corridor.

January 22, 2026 5:39 pm

🛑 Key Takeaways:

Hungarian railway company GySEV has secured a five-year contract extension to maintain and operate 1,195 km of its national rail network.
The contract runs from 2026-2030 and covers lines handling 754 million tonne-kilometers of freight annually, though financial terms were not disclosed.
This extension solidifies GySEV’s operational stability and its strategic role in western Hungary, ensuring service continuity on a key freight corridor.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – The Hungarian Ministry of Construction and Transport has granted railway company Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurth (GySEV) a five-year extension to its railway line maintenance and operation contract. The renewed agreement, covering 1,195 km of track, will be effective from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2030. Financial details of the contract were not released.

Category	Specification / Detail
Contract Type	Railway Maintenance & Operation
Contract Value	Not Disclosed. State to reimburse justified costs.
Key Stakeholders	Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurth (GySEV), Hungarian Ministry of Construction and Transport
Network Length (Hungary)	1,195 km
Total Network Length (inc. Austria)	1,261 km
Contract Duration	5 Years (Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2030)
Annual Freight Volume (on MÁV-transferred lines)	754 million tonne-kilometers

Operational & Technical Details

The contract formalizes GySEV’s responsibility for both company-owned and state-managed railway sections. The agreement includes provisions for asset management and sets specific operational requirements. Under the terms, the Hungarian state will reimburse GySEV for justified operational costs not covered by revenue. The framework also allows for additional support to incentivize efficiency and profitable management.

This extension builds on a July 2025 agreement where GySEV took over maintenance for 752 km of lines from Hungarian State Railways (MÁV). Those specific lines accommodate an average of 420 trains daily and handle nearly 10% of Hungary’s national rail freight traffic, serving approximately 40 railway companies.

Market Impact Analysis

The decision to extend the previous 10-year contract with “virtually no changes” signals strong government confidence in GySEV’s performance. For the company, the five-year term provides crucial predictability, enabling long-term planning for network developments, according to CEO Szilárd Kövesdi. This solidifies GySEV’s position as the primary rail operator in western Hungary, securing a vital transport corridor connecting to Austria and ensuring operational stability for significant cross-border freight traffic.

FAQ: Quick Facts

What is the main value of this contract?

The contract’s financial value has not been disclosed. Its primary strategic value is providing operational and financial predictability for GySEV for five years on a 1,195 km network.

When does the new contract period end?

The contract covers the period from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2030.