The Virtual Foundation - your donation makes it happen
Save the Branch Railways of Hungary
Region: Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary
Author: Hungarian Traffic Club (NGO), Budapest
Consortium Member: EPCE Hungary
Status: Needs Funding
Budget: $5380
Collected: $0
Needs: $5380
Goal: To preserve the existing side-lines railways system; to maintain and upgrade the railway and station services for rural and village residents
Comment: The regional branch railways are also an important part of developing travel and tourism potential. This project will unite local communities, railway companies, and a strong advocacy network as they work together to achieve this goal.
Information about the Organization
The aims of the Hungarian Traffic Club are to develop environmental friendly travel, which
- minimizes harmful effects, energy needs, and social and economic costs;
- supports safety and a healthy lifestyle both for travellers and the whole society;
- supports the mobility and the accessibility which are basic to achieving sustainable development.
Milestones of our work so far
- "Protect the sidelines [local branch railroad lines]!". Years 1993-95. This was a joint project with other Hungarian organizations in order to protect 3000 kilometers of railway sidelines.
- "Save our railways". Year 1997. In this project we informed local governments about plans by the Ministry of Travelling to cut or eliminate the the sideline railways.
Since 1968 our government has wanted to dismantle the sideline railways. This government effort became even stronger in the 1990s, but has not yet been realised because of strong social resistance.
Summary of the problem
In the past 10 years the number of railway passengers in Hungary has decreased by 24%. The problem is growing because Hungarian transport policy mainly supports motorway (car and truck) transport. The low-financed Railways Company focuses on the international corridors and the high-quality services (InterCity), and are forced to cut its line-network system. The Railways Company degrades side-line services or transfers them to regional railways companies, which are supposed to be run by the local communities. But not enough funding is provided to maintain these railroads. The problem leads to the collapse of some side-lines, which not only causes the increase of motorway traffic but results in isolation of people from small villages.
Goals
- Preserve the existing side-lines (regional branch) railways system; improve the quality of services all over the country,
- motivate people (tourists and inhabitants) to travel by train, especially by the regional railways,
- preserve the railways and station services to all people living in small villages, improve their chances to get to work and school,
- develop railway-tourism in the disadvantaged North-East region,
- make the transport and tourism policy more environment-friendly.
Plan of Action
-
Write and publish attractive brochures based on our traveller-experiences and co-operation with local experts. A coloured brochure of the all-railways' network in Hungary , and two region brochures („Kál-Kápolna-Kisköre-Kisújszállás", „Kál-Kápolna-Sirok-Kisterenye”).
- Submit magazine and newspaper articles to motivate readers to travel by train.
- Presentations at tourism-conferences, and meeting with regional experts and decision-makers for the train-friendly policy and services, focus on the side-line network.
- Organize informal meetings at the small railway-stations connecting with the traveller-events by NGOs. Draw the local decision-makers’ and people’s attention to the importance of preserving the side-lines and station buildings.
- Media-campaign.
- Writing a presentation of our works, publication. Letters to the Ministry of Transport. Meeting with decision-makers at ministerial level. to draw their attention to the problem and suggest methods to support the railways.
“When did you see this station last time?” A Member of Parliament asked the mayor at an informal meeting at the demolished “station” of Kisköre. The village along the Tisza and the Eurovelo 11 cycle-path is a frequented site of Tisza-lake tourism. Meanwhile the “station” is ruined and the railway-line is planned to be closed.
Summary
Our goals are to draw public attention and carry out activities to preserve and develop sideline-railways and stations.
Participants include tourists, passengers, media, Members of Parliament, local mayor(s) and experts, NGOs, small tourist-business owners, leaders of railways companies.
Types of work: brochures, newspaper-articles, presentations, letters in cooperation with the participants.
Results: more passengers (tourists and inhabitants), strengthened rural communities, train-friendly transport and tourism policies.
Time-frame - 7 months.
Budget
| Labour costs (salaries) | $3380
|
| Communication costs | $342
|
| Material costs | $88
|
| Cost of publishing brochures | $988
|
| Travel expenses (train tickets) | $62
|
| Accommodation during country events | $30
|
| Subtotal | $4890
|
| Virtual Foundation administrative fee | $488
|
| Total Requested for Project | $5379
|