Budapest Keleti station

"Keleti pályaudvar" redirects here. For the metro station, see Keleti pályaudvar metro station.

Budapest Keleti station (Hungarian: Keleti pályaudvar, pronounced [ˈkɛlɛti ˈpaːjɒudvɒr]; "eastern railway station") is the main international and inter-city railway terminal in Budapest, Hungary.

Budapest Keleti station Keleti pályaudvar
Budapest Keleti viewed from the west
General information
Location	Kerepesi út 2-4 1087 Budapest Hungary
Coordinates	47°30′01″N 19°05′02″E
Elevation	116 metres (381 ft)
Owned by	Hungarian State Railways (MÁV)
Line(s)	Budapest–Hegyeshalom Budapest–Hatvan [hu] Budapest–Újszász–Szolnok Budapest–Kunszentmiklós-Tass–Kelebia [hu]
Platforms	7
Tracks	13
Connections	Metro: Tram: 23, 24
Construction
Architect	Gyula Rochlitz
Other information
IATA code	XXQ
Website	www.mavcsoport.hu/mav-start/belfoldi-utazas/vasutallomas/budapest-keleti
History
Opened	16 August 1884; 141 years ago (1884-08-16)
Services Preceding station MÁV START Following station Kelenföld towards München Hbf Railjet Express Terminus Kelenföld towards Zürich HB Terminus InterCity Szolnok towards Arad Szolnok towards Békéscsaba Szolnok towards Braşov Szolnok towards Timişoara Nord Hatvan towards Košice InterCity Hatvan towards Budapest Nyugati via Tokaj Kelenföld towards Graz Hbf InterCity Terminus Kelenföld towards Gyékényes Kelenföld towards Kaposvár Kelenföld towards Ljubljana Kelenföld towards Pécs Kelenföld towards Sopron Kelenföld towards Split Kelenföld towards Szentgotthárd Kelenföld towards Wien Hbf EuroCity Szolnok towards Chop Szolnok towards Cluj Napoca Kelenföld towards Salzburg Hbf, Stuttgart Hbf or Zürich HB EuroNight Kálmán Imre Terminus Ferencváros towards Wien Hbf Dacia–Corvin Express Szolnok towards Bucharest North Terminus Sebesvonat Gödöllő towards Balmazújváros IR 85 Gödöllő towards Gyöngyös IR 87 Gödöllő towards Eger Ferencváros towards Tatabánya G10 Terminus Terminus G60 Kőbánya felső towards Szolnok Z60 S60 Kőbánya felső towards Sülysáp S80 Kőbánya felső towards Füzesabony Preceding station Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Following station Paris-Est Terminus Paris–Istanbul Sinaia towards Istanbul
Location Keleti pályaudvar Location within Budapest

The inscription "Keleti Pályaudvar" visible on the main facade in Hungarian means "Eastern Station".

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.^[1]

Budapest Keleti has seven platforms serving thirteen tracks.^[2]

Services

As of the July 2023 timetable change,^[update] the following services stop at Budapest Keleti:^[3][4]

• 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.
• / / : four trains per hour to Gödöllő, half-hourly service to Vámosgyörk, and hourly service to Gyöngyös and Eger.

• 

  The EuroCity 345 "Avala" train on the Wien Hauptbahnhof - Beograd route is standing at the Budapest Keleti station on January 26, 2016. A WRmz dining car is visible in the foreground. A series 1047 electric locomotive is barely noticeable in the distance.

  / / : 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.^[5]

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.^[6]

Public transport

Budapest Keleti railway station is located in the eighth district of Budapest, Hungary.

• Metro:
• Tram: 23, 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

In popular culture

The station is featured in the opening sequence of the 2011 film, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

The railway station appeared briefly in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Widow.