On September 18, 2025, the Hungarian Railway Conference was held in Budapest. It was organized by the HUNGRAIL Magyar Vasúti Egyesület association with the support of CER Hungary Zrt., a gold sponsor of the event. The forum focused on the future of railways as the foundation of sustainable transport, with a focus on network development and rolling stock renewal. Particular attention was paid to the growth of passenger traffic: in 2024, the MÁV group carried one billion passengers.
In his speech, Wilhelm Patzner, CEO of CER Cargo Group, emphasized that the growth of European rail freight transport is impossible without digital capacity management, the development of intermodal solutions, and ensuring technical interoperability. He emphasized the need to complete the TEN-T project, implement ERTMS systems and digital automatic couplers (DAC, DCM), and maintain EU support to improve the industry’s competitiveness.
According to Patzner, Chinese investments in electric transport and renewable energy could stimulate new trade flows to Hungary, Serbia, and Turkey. Furthermore, the Eurasian rail link along the Middle Corridor offers significant potential, the development of which requires further infrastructure and digital solutions.