Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the first phase of the railway infrastructure development linked to Debrecen’s Northwest Economic Zone has been completed, so the second phase of the project can begin, which will lead to the creation of one of the largest intermodal terminals in Eastern Europe.
At the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, Minister Szijjártó said Debrecen had become an important global hub of the automotive industry, where around 1,000 billion forints (EUR 3.5bn) worth of investments was underway. He noted that BMW was moving the focus of its future electromobility strategy here and Europe’s largest electric battery factory is also being built in Debrecen. He said the government decided to upgrade the Füzesabony and the Balmazújváros railway lines over two phases using 130 billion forints, the stations will be modernised, new ones will be built and the line will be electrified. This will create a direct connection between the Northwest Economic Zone of Debrecen and the main railway transport lines, he said. Szijjártó said the first phase, worth 65 billion forints, has now been completed. “We are not only developing freight traffic and making it possible for BMW to transport 70% of the cars it produces here by rail, but we are also providing faster transport between Debrecen and the surrounding settlements, making public transport more attractive and protecting the environment,” he said. The railway upgrades will be followed by road developments, upgrading the city’s water network and other community investments, the minister added. Szijjártó said Hungary is one of the most successful countries in the global race for investments, confirming that the infrastructural developments, which are necessary for Hungary to remain attractive to investors, would continue in the future.