Hungary's rail freight performance fell by 12.5% in 2025 against an EU average decline of 1.8%, industry body HUNGRAIL told the Hungarian government at a 29 September meeting attended by three cabinet ministers.

The association has since pressed Budapest to include rail in a support package that ministers have so far framed mainly around road haulage. It warned that, without intervention, the rail mode's competitive position will deteriorate further as fuel and traction costs continue to rise.

Where do the freight volumes stand?

According to HUNGRAIL, the volume of freight moved by rail in Hungary dropped by more than 23% between 2022 and 2025, which the association described as a "historic low." Hungary's 12.5% year-on-year contraction in 2025 stands in sharp contrast to the 1.8% average decline recorded across the European Union over the same period.

The figures underpin HUNGRAIL's case that Hungary's deterioration is structural rather than cyclical, and that domestic operators are losing share faster than their EU peers.

What did the government say?

Transport & Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy hosted the extraordinary meeting alongside Economy & Energy Minister István Kapitány and Finance Minister András Kármán.

Following the session, Vitézy said the government had confirmed it intends to support the freight sector through "substantive policy measures." He added that longer-term steps were being prepared to preserve the market share of domestic freight operators, with ministries and industry organisations to continue consultations on options that could be adopted during the autumn.

The talks brought together road and rail freight bodies. No specific rail freight package has yet been announced, leaving operators to wait for a follow-up.

What is HUNGRAIL asking for?

The association has asked the government to examine extending diesel fuel price compensation — currently available to road hauliers — to rail operators. It also wants action on track access charges, traction energy costs, the long-term sustainability of single-wagon support, and incentives for combined transport.

"Predictability is itself a competitiveness factor," HUNGRAIL said, urging ministers to convert the meeting's outcomes into "concrete, quantifiable and quickly implementable measures."

How urgent is the timeline?

HUNGRAIL framed the crisis on two timescales. Operators cannot pass on much of the current cost increase under freight contracts already signed, the association said, making temporary relief essential in the short term.

Negotiations on 2027 freight contracts are already under way. HUNGRAIL therefore wants the market to learn during October what medium-term measures will apply, so operators and shippers can fold them into next year's commercial and pricing decisions.

Why the modal-balance argument?

HUNGRAIL said it does not dispute the need to support road transport competitiveness. But it warned that backing for one mode "must not further worsen the competitive position of another, more sustainable mode."

The association said measures targeting road freight should be assessed for their cross-modal impact on rail. Single-wagon traffic, in particular, remains loss-making without subsidy and continues to depend on state funding arrangements that HUNGRAIL wants secured beyond the current cycle.

Hungarian rail freight volumes have now declined for three consecutive years through 2025, and HUNGRAIL's mid-October deadline for medium-term clarity will test whether Budapest's "substantive" language translates into track-access or diesel-cost relief before 2027 contract talks close.