HÉV
Encyclopedia
Budapest HÉV is a system of four commuter rail (Szentendre
HÉV, Gödöllő
HÉV, Csömör
HÉV and Ráckeve
HÉV) and rapid transit
(Csepel HÉV
and Békásmegyer
HÉV (part of the Szentendre HÉV)) lines in and around Budapest
, Hungary
. The HÉV lines were constructed as branch line
s of the Hungarian State Railways
. The four HÉV lines are operated by the public transport company BKV
, yet are not part of the Budapest Metro
. Inside Budapest, standard BKV tickets and passes are valid on the HÉV. Outside Budapest, a separate ticket must be validated.
The HÉV connects Csepel
(south), Ráckeve
(far south), Gödöllő
(northeast), and Szentendre
(north) with various points of central Budapest. The four HÉV lines are not connected directly, each originating from a different terminus
, but their railway are still connected to the MÁV lines. The HÉV is a hybrid between a commuter rail and a rapid transit. Although most of its stations are above ground and outdoor, some are underground (for example the city centre terminus at Batthyány tér
).
The HÉV operates on standard gauge
(1435 mm), and is electrified at 1000 V DC
. The HÉV lines are planned to become integrated into the metro network. The Szentendre, Ráckeve and Csepel lines are slated to be merged into what is called the metro line 5 (North-South Regional rapid railway). The connection will be made by an underground line between the Kaszásdűlő and Lágymányosi bridge stations, and extended in order to reach the center of Pesterzsébet
. The Urban and Suburban Transit Association
(Városi és Elővárosi Közlekedési Egyesület) has presented a plan to merge line 2 with the HÉV from Gödöllő. The city government did not totally accept the plan, but it still may be built after 2015.
) HÉV lines in and around Budapest, but at the turn of the century
there were 4 another HÉV lines around Budapest: Esztergom
HÉV (today suburban railway, since 1931 owned by Hungarian State Railways
), Lajosmizse
HÉV (suburban railway, also part of the Hungarian State Railways), Törökbálint
HÉV (mostly demolished, the remained line is tram no. 41, owned by BKV
) and Budafok
HÉV (today tram no. 47, owned by BKV also).
Szentendre
Szentendre is a riverside town in Pest county, Hungary, near the capital city Budapest. It is known for its museums , galleries, and artists. Due to its picturesque appearance and easy rail and river access, it has become a popular destination for tourists staying in Budapest...
HÉV, Gödöllő
Gödöllo
Gödöllő is a town situated in Pest county, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary, about northeast from the outskirts of Budapest. Its population is about 31,000 according to the 2001 census. It can be easily reached from Budapest with the suburban railway . Gödöllő is home to the Szent István...
HÉV, Csömör
Csömör
Csömör is a village in Hungary, in Pest county, Budapest metropolitan area in the Gödöllő subregion . It is west of Kistarcsa, north of the 16th district of Budapest, on the western part of the Gödöllő hills, in the turning of the Csömör stream...
HÉV and Ráckeve
Ráckeve
Ráckeve Ráckeve Ráckeve (Ráckeve (Ráckeve ([[Serbian language|Serbian: Српски Ковин) is a town on [[Csepel Island]] in [[Hungary]]. It is situated in [[]].-History:...
HÉV) and rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
(Csepel HÉV
Csepel HÉV
H7 is a rapid transit line in Budapest, Hungary. It connects the city centre Grand Boulevard and Csepel . The line was built in 1951....
and Békásmegyer
Békásmegyer
Békásmegyer is a neighbourhood in Budapest, Hungary. It belongs administratively to District III. Békásmegyer is consisted of two different parts, a huge high rise housing estate and the traditional Ófalu with older houses. Békásmegyer is divided into two by the Szentendre HÉV line. It was an...
HÉV (part of the Szentendre HÉV)) lines in and around Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The HÉV lines were constructed as branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
s of the Hungarian State Railways
Hungarian State Railways
Hungarian State Railways is the Hungarian national railway company, with divisions "MÁV Start Zrt" and "MÁV Cargo Zrt" ....
. The four HÉV lines are operated by the public transport company BKV
BKV
BKV is the unified public transport company of Budapest, established in 1968...
, yet are not part of the Budapest Metro
Budapest Metro
The Budapest Metro is the rapid transit system in the Hungarian capital Budapest. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground. Its iconic Line 1, dating from 1896, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002.-Lines:The Metro consists of three lines,...
. Inside Budapest, standard BKV tickets and passes are valid on the HÉV. Outside Budapest, a separate ticket must be validated.
Csepel
Csepel is the 21st district and a neighbourhood in Budapest, Hungary. Csepel officially became part of Budapest on 1 January 1950.- Location :...
(south), Ráckeve
Ráckeve
Ráckeve Ráckeve Ráckeve (Ráckeve (Ráckeve ([[Serbian language|Serbian: Српски Ковин) is a town on [[Csepel Island]] in [[Hungary]]. It is situated in [[]].-History:...
(far south), Gödöllő
Gödöllo
Gödöllő is a town situated in Pest county, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary, about northeast from the outskirts of Budapest. Its population is about 31,000 according to the 2001 census. It can be easily reached from Budapest with the suburban railway . Gödöllő is home to the Szent István...
(northeast), and Szentendre
Szentendre
Szentendre is a riverside town in Pest county, Hungary, near the capital city Budapest. It is known for its museums , galleries, and artists. Due to its picturesque appearance and easy rail and river access, it has become a popular destination for tourists staying in Budapest...
(north) with various points of central Budapest. The four HÉV lines are not connected directly, each originating from a different terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
, but their railway are still connected to the MÁV lines. The HÉV is a hybrid between a commuter rail and a rapid transit. Although most of its stations are above ground and outdoor, some are underground (for example the city centre terminus at Batthyány tér
Batthyány Square
Batthyány Square is a town square in Budapest. It is located on the Buda side of the Danube directly opposite the Hungarian Parliament Building...
).
The HÉV operates on standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
(1435 mm), and is electrified at 1000 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
. The HÉV lines are planned to become integrated into the metro network. The Szentendre, Ráckeve and Csepel lines are slated to be merged into what is called the metro line 5 (North-South Regional rapid railway). The connection will be made by an underground line between the Kaszásdűlő and Lágymányosi bridge stations, and extended in order to reach the center of Pesterzsébet
Pesterzsébet
Pesterzsébet is the 20th district of Budapest, Hungary. It is located in the southern part of the capital and is the 17th biggest district in the city...
. The Urban and Suburban Transit Association
Urban and Suburban Transit Association
The Urban and Suburban Transit Association is a Hungarian non-profit organization, aimed at developing city transport in Hungary.-Organizational structure:...
(Városi és Elővárosi Közlekedési Egyesület) has presented a plan to merge line 2 with the HÉV from Gödöllő. The city government did not totally accept the plan, but it still may be built after 2015.
Former lines
Today there are four (+1 side line to CsömörCsömör
Csömör is a village in Hungary, in Pest county, Budapest metropolitan area in the Gödöllő subregion . It is west of Kistarcsa, north of the 16th district of Budapest, on the western part of the Gödöllő hills, in the turning of the Csömör stream...
) HÉV lines in and around Budapest, but at the turn of the century
Turn of the century
Turn of the century, in its broadest sense, refers to the transition from one century to another. The term is most often used to indicate a non-specific time period either before or after the beginning of a century....
there were 4 another HÉV lines around Budapest: Esztergom
Esztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
HÉV (today suburban railway, since 1931 owned by Hungarian State Railways
Hungarian State Railways
Hungarian State Railways is the Hungarian national railway company, with divisions "MÁV Start Zrt" and "MÁV Cargo Zrt" ....
), Lajosmizse
Lajosmizse
Lajosmizse is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. It is located at the end of a railway line from Budapest.- History :Lajosmizse is situated at the meeting point of routes leading from the North to the South, and from the West to the East. Once the area was covered with groves, then with...
HÉV (suburban railway, also part of the Hungarian State Railways), Törökbálint
Törökbálint
Törökbálint is a town in Pest county, Hungary. Törökbálint received town status on 1 July 2007.The city has also got a German name, Großturwall, which originates from the times of the Swabian immigration after the Turkish occupation of Hungary....
HÉV (mostly demolished, the remained line is tram no. 41, owned by BKV
BKV
BKV is the unified public transport company of Budapest, established in 1968...
) and Budafok
Budafok
Budafok is a neighbourhood in Budapest, Hungary. It is situated in the southwestern part of Buda, near the Danube, and belongs to District XXII. Budafok was an independent municipality before 1950...
HÉV (today tram no. 47, owned by BKV also).