The Rail Revolution That Never Was

Summary

This script tells the story of Hungarian Railways' innovative yet underappreciated efforts in the late 1980s and 1990s to revolutionize European passenger rail with the BDV motor 414 series and BV M trains. Despite surpassing other European rail systems in innovation, economic challenges and political shifts led to a decline, with only a few trains produced. The script contrasts Hungary's setbacks with the Czech Republic's successful rail development, highlighting the potential lost due to lack of investment and strategic planning.

Takeaways

• 🚂 The Hungarian Railways were once at the forefront of innovation in European rail, developing trains and operational plans that were groundbreaking for their time.
• 🌐 In the mid-1980s, Hungary's suburban rail system was outdated, with manual doors and low speeds, but this changed with the introduction of the BDV motor 414 series, which featured automatic doors and state-of-the-art technology.
• 🛠️ The BDV motor 414 series was a hybrid train design, combining the flexibility of push-pull trains with the improved dynamics of multiple units, making it a versatile and efficient mode of transport.
• 🏗️ The Guns Works, a Hungarian domestic rolling stock manufacturer, played a crucial role in developing these innovative trains, despite economic challenges after the fall of the Soviet Union.
• 🚄 The 400 34 series, or BV M, was an intercity version of the BDV M, offering upgrades such as increased top speed and air-conditioned interiors, showcasing Hungary's commitment to rail innovation.
• 🔒 The potential of the BV M trains was not fully realized due to economic decline and lack of investment, resulting in only three units being built and a reliance on conventional trains.
• 🛤️ The Inter City Plus program was an attempt to revitalize long-distance rail traffic without significant investment, but it resulted in a backlog of maintenance and substandard new cars.
• 📉 The cancellation of the new long-distance Push Pull trains due to lack of funds further hindered Hungarian Railways' progress, leaving them to rely on outdated rolling stock.
• 🌍 In contrast, the Czech Railways managed to save their domestic train manufacturing and invest in rail infrastructure, developing their own versions of the innovative trains Hungary had once pioneered.
• 🚆 The Austrian and Swiss rail systems are highlighted as examples of successful, modern rail networks, with standardized, high-quality services and innovative operational concepts.
• 🔄 The script emphasizes the importance of forward-thinking operational concepts and modern rolling stock for the future of rail transportation, something Hungary had the potential to achieve but ultimately fell short due to various challenges.

Q & A

What was the state of European rail in the mid-1980s?

The mid-1980s in Europe marked the last golden age of European rail, which was about to end with the dark ages of the '90s characterized by stagnation, managed decline, line closures, and budget cuts.

What is a 'classic set' in the context of trains?

A 'classic set' refers to a train configuration where a locomotive is at the front, pulling passenger cars behind it.

What is the difference between a 'push-pull' train and a 'multiple unit'?

A 'push-pull' train has a locomotive at one end that can be remotely controlled from a driver's cabin at the other end of the train, allowing for direction changes without moving the locomotive. A 'multiple unit' has no separate locomotive; instead, the motors are built into the train cars, with driver's cabins at both ends, providing better operational flexibility and performance.

What was the innovative concept introduced by Hungarian Railways for suburban rail in the 1980s?

The innovative concept introduced by Hungarian Railways was the creation of a new train design and operational plan that combined existing concepts and improvements, resulting in trains and operational plans that were groundbreaking for their time.

What were the key features of the BDV motor 414 series trains?

The BDV motor 414 series trains featured automatic doors, rapid acceleration, and state-of-the-art automatic couplers. They also allowed for the synchronization of engines in multiple car units from a single driver's cabin and could be extended with additional cars for greater capacity.

How did the BDV MZ cars contribute to the flexibility of Hungarian Railways' operations?

The BDV MZ cars were interoperable with other trains in the Hungarian Railways fleet, allowing them to be used as part of regular trains if needed. They also featured double swinging doors for high passenger flows and could be extended with up to four additional cars for increased capacity.

What was the significance of the BV M 4034 series trains?

The BV M 4034 series, also known as the intercity version of the BDV M, were significant because they were push-pull multiple unit hybrids with important upgrades, including increased top speed, air-conditioned interiors, and innovative seating layouts, making them comparable to modern high-speed trains.

What is the 'Railjet' and how does it compare to the BV M?

The 'Railjet' is a high-speed train service by Austrian Federal Railways, known for its flexibility, operational characteristics, and standardized high-quality service. The BV M was very close to the Railjet in terms of design and functionality, having been introduced 14 years earlier, but lacked some modern amenities like power sockets and LCD screens.

What happened to the plans for a nationwide intercity train system using BV M models in Hungary?

The plans for a nationwide intercity train system using BV M models were shelved due to the economic collapse following the fall of the Soviet Union, which affected investment in rail and led to a period of decline in the rail industry.

What was the 'Intercity Plus' program and why was it considered a failure?

The 'Intercity Plus' program was an attempt to revitalize long-distance rail traffic without significant investment. It involved refurbishing old trains with new cars. However, it was considered a failure because the project was obsolete from the start, faced funding issues, and resulted in a maintenance backlog and poor-quality trains.

How did the Czech Railways differ from Hungarian Railways in terms of development post-Soviet Union collapse?

Unlike Hungarian Railways, Czech Railways managed to save their domestic train manufacturing and invested heavily in rail infrastructure. They created their own versions of the BV M and BDV M models and developed a modern operating concept, positioning themselves as an example of what Hungary could have been.

Outlines

00:00

🚂 Hungarian Railways' Innovative Leap

This paragraph introduces the often-overlooked Hungarian Railways and its remarkable achievements in the late 1980s. Despite being a smaller and less affluent country compared to its European counterparts, Hungary managed to innovate and nearly revolutionize European passenger rail. The engineers and planners combined existing concepts to create trains and operational plans that were not only groundbreaking at the time but are still competitive with modern systems. The script also outlines the general train configurations of the era, such as classic sets and multiple units, and highlights the Hungarian Railways' new suburban rail concept introduced in the 1980s, which was a significant advancement in technology and safety.

05:02

🛤️ The BDV Motor 414 Series: A Pioneering Train

The BDV Motor 414 series, introduced by the Hungarian domestic Rolling Stock manufacturer, is detailed in this paragraph as a major leap in quality and technology. It surpassed other European rail companies' offerings in the suburban category with its modernity and innovation. The train featured automatic doors, rapid acceleration, and state-of-the-art automatic couplers. It was designed to be interoperable with existing Hungarian Railways infrastructure and could be extended or reduced in length as needed. The paragraph also mentions the political interference from Victor Orban and the promotion of NordVPN as a tool for internet security and privacy.

10:04

🚆 The BV M and the Unfulfilled Potential of Hungarian Rail

This paragraph discusses the BV M, an intercity version of the BDV M, which was designed for high-speed operation and comfort. Despite the economic challenges following the fall of the Soviet Union, the Guns Works continued to innovate with this train, which was comparable to the Austrian Rail Jets but entered service 14 years earlier. The BV M was envisioned to be the backbone of Hungarian long-distance rail, offering a modern, reliable service. However, due to the economic downturn and lack of investment, only three BV M trains were built, and the nationwide intercity train system using BV M trains was never realized. The Hungarian Railways reverted to conventional trains and later attempted to revitalize long-distance rail with the Inter City Plus program, which ultimately failed due to various issues, including poor build quality and a lack of funding.

Keywords

💡European Rail

European Rail refers to the railway systems and services that operate across Europe. In the context of the video, it highlights the historical and technological advancements in rail transportation, particularly focusing on the innovative strides made by Hungary's railways despite being a smaller and less affluent country compared to others like Germany, Switzerland, or France.

💡Innovation

Innovation in this video script refers to the introduction of new ideas, designs, or methods that significantly improve the existing systems or products. The Hungarian Railways' development of the BDV motor 414 series is an example of innovation, as it introduced groundbreaking trains and operational plans that were on par with modern systems.

💡Push-Pull Trains

Push-Pull trains are a type of train configuration where the locomotive is at one end of the train and controls the train from a driver's cabin at the other end, allowing the train to be driven in both directions without the need to turn the locomotive around. The script mentions that Germans were particularly fond of this concept, and it was a step above the classic train sets.

💡Multiple Unit (MU)

A Multiple Unit is a type of train where the power to move the train is distributed along the train, with motors in multiple carriages and a driver's cabin at both ends. This allows for better operational flexibility, acceleration, and braking. The script describes the MU as an advancement over the Push-Pull concept and a key feature of the Hungarian Railways' BDV motor 414 series.

💡Suburban Rail Traffic

Suburban Rail Traffic pertains to the rail services that operate in the suburban areas surrounding a city, often providing commuter services. The script discusses the outdated state of Hungarian suburban rail traffic in the 1980s, characterized by low speeds, manual doors, and unsafe operations, which later spurred the development of the BDV motor 414 series.

💡Interoperability

Interoperability in the context of the video refers to the ability of different train systems or components to work together seamlessly. The script mentions that the BDV MZ cars were interoperable with the Hungarian Railways' existing infrastructure, allowing for flexibility in operation and the ability to integrate with regular trains.

💡Budapest Vag线

The Budapest Vag line is a specific rail line in Hungary that is mentioned in the script as the initial deployment area for the new BDV motor 414 series trains. The operation of these trains on the Budapest Vag line was so successful that it almost led to the implementation of a clock face scheduling system for trains.

💡Rail Jet

The Rail Jet is a high-speed train service operated by Austrian Federal Railways, known for its push-pull configuration and modern amenities like power sockets and LCD screens. The script compares the Hungarian BV mode trains to the Rail Jet, noting that they were very similar in terms of flexibility and operational characteristics, despite being introduced 14 years earlier.

💡Inter City Plus

Inter City Plus refers to a project by Hungarian Railways aimed at revitalizing long-distance rail traffic without significant investment. The script describes the project as an attempt to modernize the fleet with new trains, but it was fraught with issues, including defects, poor build quality, and a lack of funding, ultimately leading to its cancellation.

💡Autocracy

Autocracy in the script refers to a form of government where one person or entity has absolute power. The mention of Victor Orban turning Hungary into an autocracy is related to the EU's reluctance to fund Hungarian projects, including the Hungarian Railways' plans for new trains, due to political disagreements.

💡Czech Railways

Czech Railways is the national railway operator of the Czech Republic. The script contrasts the Hungarian Railways' situation with that of the Czech Railways, which managed to save their domestic train manufacturing and invest in rail infrastructure, creating their own versions of the BV mode and BDV mode trains, and establishing a modern rail network.

Highlights

In the mid-1980s, Hungary's railways revolutionized European passenger rail with innovative train and operational plans.

Hungarian engineers took existing concepts and improved them, creating trains that were groundbreaking for their time.

The BDV motor 414 series was introduced in 1988, showcasing a leap in quality and technology compared to other European rail companies.

The BDV motor 414 series featured automatic doors, accelerated rapidly, and had state-of-the-art automatic couplers.

Trains could be extended with up to four additional cars, providing flexibility and operational efficiency.

The BDV M series was a hybrid of push-pull and multiple unit trains, offering the benefits of both.

The Budapest-Vác line saw such success with the BDV M series that it nearly implemented a clock face scheduling system.

Despite economic collapse in the 1990s, the Gáns Works continued to innovate with the 400 34 series or BV M, an intercity version of the BDV M.

The BV M intercity trains had top speeds of 160 kmph and innovative features like semi-coupet layouts in first class.

The BV M's flexible design allowed for easy modifications and modernizations on a plug-and-play basis.

The BV M was designed for a modern, reliable, and innovative operational concept, setting a precedent for European rail systems.

The Inter City Plus program was an attempt to revitalize long-distance rail traffic without significant investment, resulting in obsolete rolling stock.

The cancellation of the Inter City Plus project due to lack of funding left Hungarian Railways with a maintenance backlog and outdated trains.

A recent competition for new long-distance Push Pull trains was won by Siemens, but the project was scrapped due to funding issues.

Czech Railways, in contrast, has successfully invested in rail infrastructure and created their own versions of the BV M and BDV M.

Despite setbacks, some of Hungary's original urban trains are still in operation, with some undergoing recent overhauls.

The intercity version of the Hungarian trains is now mostly used as a last resort due to cancellation of further procurement.

Transcripts

when we think of cutting a European rail

we usually imagine Germany Switzerland

Austria maybe France but few people know

that another much smaller and poorer

country not only surpassed them in

Innovation but came close to changing

the face of European passenger rail the

engineers and Transit planners of this

little country took already existing

Concepts and improvements and mashed

them together into trains and

operational plans that were

groundbreaking for their time and are

easily on par with Mod systems today

this is the story of the Hungarian

Railways and the rail Revolution That

Never

[Music]

Was it's the mid 1980s in Europe the

last golden age of European rail is

about to end with the dark ages of the

'90s fast approaching stagnation managed

decline line closures budget cuts under

The Alibi of efficiency pouring money

into highways instead of tracks end of

century neoliberalism at its finest

before we go further though I'll have to

quickly explain trains so we're on the

same page see back in those days trains

were mostly thought of as a locomotive

Dragon cars behind it this is called a

classic set even the much EnV Austrian

or swiss Railways relied on such classic

sets sometimes the end car would have a

driver's cabin that's called a control

car from which the locomotive in the

back could be remote controlled we call

such a train a push pull and we like it

because it allows us to change direction

without needing to switch the locomotive

saving lots of time money and fuel

Germans were particularly big on this

concept the step above the push PS is

the multiple unit here there is no

locomotive the motors are built in and

there is a driver's cabin on both ends

by default this allows for much better

operational flexibility acceleration and

braking meaning better punctuality and

shorter travel times among others so

1980s Suburban rail traffic in Hungary

is done by locomotives hauling old cars

with manual doors with old BDT control

cars hooked on the ends everything is

done by hand speeds are low and

operation is rather unsafe you could

just open these doors mid journey and

jump out if you wanted it was at this

time that someone at the Hungarian

Railways headquarters found themselves

sober on a Monday morning so sober that

they created a brand new operating

concept for Suburban rail the guns works

the Hungarian domestic Rolling Stock

manufacturer at the time thus received a

Monumental task designing and building a

brand new train that would Propel

Suburban rail not just to the present

but to the Future via the railway's

brand new experimental operational

concept and in 1988 they were ready to

present their creation

the bdv motor 414 series was a massive

jumping quality and Technology compared

to anything else Hungarian rail had and

surpassed or at least was on par with

anything any other European rail company

was Fielding at the time in the Suburban

category it beat the austrians in

quality of modernity who were just

putting into operation their next gen

Suburban push PS at that point it beat

the austrians the trains had automatic

doors accelerated like mad and were even

equipped with automatic couplers which

was state-of-the-art Tech at the time

you you could hook two four car units

together even and operate both their

engines synchronously from one driver's

cabin you could also extend individual

trains with up to four fer cars instead

of two making a six carar unit nowadays

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[Music]

so is the bdv m a multiple unit or a

push pull both actually it's a hybrid

with regular UIC cars between a

motorized car and a control car this was

a great compromise the flexibility and

interoperability of push pulls with the

improved dynamics of multiple units the

cars had double Swinging Doors in the

middle designed for the high passenger

flows of suburban traffic the bdv MZ

cars were also interoperable with

everything the Hungarian Railways had at

the time the fer cars could be run as

part of regular trains should the need

arise giving you unprecedented flexib

across the network a total of 24 car

units were delivered to the Hungarian

Railways for starters their operation on

the Budapest vat line turned out to be

such a success that they almost

instituted clock face scheduling on the

line that's when trains depart at the

same time every hour leading to an easy

to remember passenger friendly schedule

though it didn't work out due to

internal resistance we had to wait until

2004 when it was instituted nationally

now the guns Works had already built

similar trains a few years back like the

creation 6111 series but those were toy

trains compared to the bdv mod designed

for smaller lines with low traffic the

trains themselves were really not

interoperable with anything else as far

as I know in comparison the bdv mod was

real heavy duty stuff built to easily

handle the busiest Suburban lines around

the capital by 1990 all 20 trains had

been delivered it was a time of economic

collapse however as the fall of the

Soviet Union affected Eastern Europe

severely the guns Works were no

exception but despite that they were far

from done in that climate of economic

Decline and tried up funding they

decided one Quantum Leap wasn't enough

so they did it again with their next

creation the 400 34 series or BV M the

inter city version of the bdv M these

trains are great they're the same Push

Pull multiple unit hybrids but with

important upgrades among them their top

speed having been increased to 160 kmph

with its four treaure motors which sound

like the Millennium Falcon jumping to

line speed during acceleration

[Music]

w

they have single automatic doors at the

ends of each car and their interior is

air conditioned speaking of interior the

trains contained Innovations like the

semi coupet layout in first class where

the four seaters are inside their own

compartments next to the row of single

seats you only saw this kind of stuff in

places like Germany and even there it

was quite rare these trains could even

be run in so-called tgv mode by hooking

up a second motor car on the other side

instead of a control car operating both

synchronously from one end with one

motor car you could extend the set with

two more cars which made a six-car inter

city train just one car less than the

rail jet now in select videos I tend to

Rave about the Austrian rail Jets

because they represent the current

Cutting Edge of up to higher speed

long-distance rail rail jets are push

pull sets meaning no locomotive

switching and the cars are permanently

coupled uniformly so if you know the car

order one rail jet you know all of them

because of this their interior is also

more spacious and quiet with the rail

Jets flexibility and operational

characteristics Austrian rail put

together a world class passeng rail

network providing a consistent

Dependable standardized high quality

service the railjet network is the

absolute Pinnacle of current

higher speed ra Transit and I will find

anyone on

that the Hungarian rail BV mode was very

very close to the rail jet it was 95%

there if Austrian long distance traffic

was made up purely of BV muds today no

one would complain all right so Gunworks

made a train as good as seens and what's

the big deal well rail Jets entered

service in 2008 the BV mode

1994 a full 14 years earlier of course

the BV mod didn't have stuff like power

sockets or LCD screens but those can

always be built in during maintenance

due to its extreme flexibility you could

also plug in new cars if you wanted a

mixed use car with spaces for bikes and

wheelchairs a b or restaurant car for

international connections a car with a

family section the BV Mod's flexible

design allows for all sorts of modding

and modernizations on a plug andplay

basis no need to take the train apart to

bits just put the car in boom now it's

good for 20 more years the BV Ms were

envisioned as the backbone of Hungarian

long-distance rail providing a reliable

high quality service to every major city

gradually replacing the Aging

conventional Fleet the proposed system

was a version of today's Austrian rail

jet or swiss inter city systems

basically this is why the BV mods were

truly Forward Thinking and Innovative

they weren't just good Rolling Stock

they were designed and built for a type

of modern reliable and Innovative

operational Concept in the regular speed

category that would not be seen in

Europe until a decade later since these

trains were also made up of UIC standard

cars that meant if there is some sort of

issue with the trains you could

immediately fall back on locomotives as

your backup they can also pull the BD

mod cars since they are also cross

compatible with everything else this is

ooh this is great the train people in my

audience right now are going like oh

okay that's pretty cool with that

Hungary was ready to join The Cutting

Edge of European regular speed

longdistance rail surpassing it even a

world-class system with a Forward

Thinking operational concept and

excellent Rolling Stock plans were made

to have the BV mod produced and mass but

the orders never came it was still the

1990s the Soviet Union and just fell

apart investment into rail cratered a

long period of decline ensued which took

the guns works with it because of this

only three BV mods were ever built this

did not allow for working out the bugs

so the trains remained unreliable

maintenance remained very pricey since

you have to custom manufacture spare

parts in small quantities as opposed to

mess manufacturing them economically

like seens does for rail Jets the plans

for a nationwide inter city train system

using BV mods were sheld with that the

Hungarian Railways went straight back to

the 1940s in terms of thinking opting to

operate its longdistance network with

conventional trains without even control

cars a decade later thanks to EU funding

the Hungarian Railways could buy new

trains for local traffic like sems desos

or stet flirts and kisses but as far as

long distance is concerned they went for

the do-it-yourself route enter the inter

city

[Music]

plus the inter city plus program was an

attempt to Breathe new life into

long-distance rail traffic without

actually investing any significant funds

into it the original plan of running

newly built cars with an eventual

control car were something at least it

was basically a shitty rail jet but it

was something and the first two

prototype cars weren't half bad they

were quite good actually as far as

obsolete Rolling Stock goes and that L

part was the problem the inter city plus

project was obsolete from the moment of

its conception every developed country

on Earth even America is going either

for permanently coupled push pulls or

multiple units those are the future of

long-distance rail transportation and

into this environment enters the

Hungarian Railways with a

conventional set because those control

cars they promised were never built the

200 or so cars they planned on were

never built either only a grand total of

92 cars until the project was scrapped

due to a lack of funding and the factory

that built them was no Factory at all it

was one of the repair bases in solok

which was already under sted and

overloaded even before they got the

order to build brand new cars the end

result a huge backlog in overhauls where

the Hungarian railway's best cars were

left to rot on sidetracks for years

meanwhile the inter city plus cars they

built were awful they come with

a comical amount of defects and the

build quality is well let's just say

questionable after the Hungarian

government kept forcing the ic+ project

and then consequently abandoned it the

Hungarian Railways were left in a shape

arguably worse than before no

operational concept no developmental

plans just a pile of shitty new cars a

huge maintenance backlog all the while

desperately trying to keep their

decaying Rolling Stock alive up until a

few years ago it seemed The Glory Days

of Hungarian rails were truly over for

good but then a miracle happened someone

within the Hungarian government found

themselves sober on Monday morning and

ordered the Hungarian Railways to

announce a competition for brand new

long-distance Push Pull trains which

seens won with their new generation rail

jet 39 trains with at least seven cars

with 10 more trains on option this

amount of trains could cover most major

International connections and could free

up enough cars from those lines to

stabilize the domestic Rolling Stock

situation for a good 20 years it seemed

that after all if not being The Cutting

Edge Hungarian rail will at least get to

keep up with the times but then the

project was scrapped due to a lack of

funds because the EU won't give Orban

money because they don't like the fact

that he's turning Hungary into an

autocracy and so the Hungarian Railways

are and will remain oh well those

new rail Jets ended up going to the

Czech Railways instead who for some

reason insisted on calling them Comfort

Jets because every godamn train of

theirs has to have its own separate name

still in this story czechia is the good

example what Hungary could have been a

country that started out in a similar

spot as Hungary after the fall of the

Soviet Union they managed to save their

domestic train manufacturing and have

been investing heavily into their rail

infrastructure they even created their

own version of the BV mode and bdv mode

called theod inter pter and theod Regio

pter though the first one definitely

needs some more Buck fixing still the

check Railways put together a pretty

good operating concept aiming to replace

most domestic connections with multiple

units and the occasional push B while

running rail Jets on International

connections just like Austria so the

check system and their domestic Rolling

Stock are pretty great except when they

aren't like the check rail director

having a fetish for not expending track

capacity yes we've been reconstructing

the busiest Mainline for two years and

didn't Ed a third track it's completely

unnecessary hey why is the network so

congested right so aside from some

issues in the end Chia has become what

Hungary was supposed to be in the 1990s

and onward I just wish they stopped

trying to name all their train types we

got Panther Fox shark Mouse elephant

spider we got pendolino rail jet

Interjet comfor jet reg onova anyway

where was I going with this Swiss rail

Austrian rail A+ Czech rail getting

there Hungarian rail yeah it

sucks as for the guns workor ex trains

this urbon ones are still running and

some recently even went through overhaul

the inter city version however is a lost

cause at this point and are only

deployed as Replacements strictly on a

we didn't have anything else basis which

is an increasingly common occurrence

because they canceled the

procurement for trains that would

actually

[Music]