Today, the Hungarian railways presented another 480 series locomotive honoring an historical figure. With a festive ceremony MAV 480 003 was inaugurated with a red and ivory colored wrapping about ‘Szent István’. Read more on Railcolornews.com

Seen today at Gramatneusiedl [AT]: MAV 480 010 with EC 145 ''Lehár'' from Vienna to Budapest. The MAV TRAXX locomotives will replace the MAV 470 locomotives on this route. Unit 480 004 is currently in Vienna for driver training. Photo: Ludwig GS

On 08.07.2016 it was presented: the new livery of MÁV 480 004, celebrating the 170th birthday of the railways in Hungary. Norbert Tilai made some first images.

Never enough colorful locomotives, must be a golden rule un Hungary. Yet again we can announce a new promotional livery for a MAV 480 series locomotive. This time MAV 480 004 will get a blue and yellow livery commemorating the 170th birth day of the railways in Hungary. The design is the result of a contest.

Two other colorful machines currently running in Hungary and beyond:

Every year in May, the Hungarian railways (MAV) operates Szekely Gyors pilgrim trains to Transsylvania in Romania. We share this nicely edited video of such a train, this year including MAV locomotive no. 480 013 -Szent Márton-

As of 10.05.2016, MAV 480 013 has a new full promo livery. Its theme is -Máltai szeretetszolgálat-, a Hungarian charitative organization. Thanks Csaba Stahl / Balog Zsolt / Norbert Pócza and Márk Fekete for the images.

Szent Márton (or Saint Martin) is celebrating his 1700th birthday. This year his jubilee is chosen as theme for a Werbelok of the Hungarian railways (MAV). Unit 480 006 is the chosen one to be pimped this year and we are sure this machine will soon haul a pilgrim train to Romania, a yearly tradition. Thanks you Csaba Stahl and Norbert Pócza for the pictures.

Yesterday, a new Werbelok was presented in Hungary: MÁV 480 012 now has striking livery made out of children's drawings. It's themed 'When I grow up, I will be a railway man'... Don't we all? More images of the presentation here. Thanks to László Vécsei for the title images. Update: images from the first services, thank to Márton Botond and Nobert Tilai.

Yes, there they are again! The Szekely Gyors pilgrim trains to Transsylvania in Romania. This year was the recently redecorated MAV 480 007 star of the show.

We also reported about this annual event in 2014 here and here. And this is our 2011/2012/2013 news item.

Another historic figure from Hungary just got its own promo locomotive. MAV 480 007 is now covered in a special wrapping about Hungarian nobleman: II. Rákóczi Ferenc (or Francis Rákóczi the 2nd) . He was the leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-1711, so is stated on wikipedia.

The pictures show 480 001 'Kalman Kando', 480 005 'King Matthias', 480 022 'Weöres', 480 004 'Gabor Aron' and 470 010 with the 'Golden Football Team'. - PH

MAV 470 MAV 480

More information about these trains:

MAV 480

Yesterday already, a MÁV Nosztalgia Kft a charter train (the "Boldogasszony Zarándokvonat") left for the same purpose. - PH/ZM

More information about these trains:

MAV 480

We also have the time table for this locomotive, for the next couple of days. 'Angaben ohne Gewahr' would the Germans say:

16. 05. 2014., Friday
Budapest-Nyugati – IC 1565 – Nyíregyháza – IC 1566 – Budapest-Nyugati

17. 05. 2014., Saturday
Budapest-Nyugati – IC 760 – Szeged – IC 767 – Budapest-Nyugati – IC 764 – Szeged – IC 763 – Budapest-Nyugati

18. 05. 2014., Sunday
Budapest-Nyugati – IC 1567 – Nyíregyháza – IC 652 – Budapest-Keleti – IC 508 –Miskolc-Tiszai

19. 05. 2014., Monday
Miskolc-Tiszai – 25150 (solo engine) – Szerencs – 5259 – Miskolc-Tiszai – 15209 – Budapest-Keleti – 526 – Miskolc-Tiszai – 521 – Budapest-Keleti

20. 05. 2014., Tuesday
Budapest-Keleti – IC 912 – Csorna – IC 942 – Sopron – IC 935 – Csorna – IC 915 – Budapest-Keleti – IC 918 – Csorna – IC 938 – Sorpon – 46863 (freight train) – Ferencváros

21, 05, 2014., Wendesday
Ferencváros – solo engine – Kőbánya-Kispest – 7900 – Kelebia – 7955 – Kiskunhalas – 7954 – Kelebia – 7903 – Kőbánya-Kispest – solo engine – Ferencváros

22. 05. 2014., Thursday
Ferencváros – 20030 (solo engine) – Budapest-Keleti – 7306 – Lőkösháza – 7301 – Budapest-Keleti – 23614 (empty train) – Nagykáta

23. 05. 2014., Friday
Nagykáta – 3629 – Budapest-Keleti – 20340 (solo engine) – Budapest-Déli – IC 814 – Pécs – IC 801 – Budapest-Déli

24. 05. 2014., Saturday
Budapest-Déli – 850 – Balatonszentgyörgy – 855 – Budapest-Déli – 8506 – Nagykanizsa – 8531 – Siófok

25. 05. 2014., Sunday
Siófok – 8530 – Nagykanizsa – 857 – Budapest-Déli – 850 – Nagykanizsa – 8235 – Dombóvár – IC 816 – Pécs

26. 05. 2014., Monday
Pécs – 8009 – Budapest-Déli – 854 – Balatonszentgyörgy – 853 – Budapest-Déli – 4568 (bank engine) – Székesfehérvár

27. 05. 2014., Tuesday
Székesfehérvár – 4559 – Budapest-Déli – 852 – Balatonszentgyörgy – IC 201 – Budapest-Déli – 9008 – Celldömölk

28. 05. 2014., Wendesday
Celldömölk – 9069 – Budapest-Déli – 854 – Balatonszentgyörgy – 853 – Budapest-Déli – 4568 – Székesfehérvár

29. 05. 2014., Thursday
Székesfehérvár – 4559 – Budapest-Déli – 852 – Balatonszentgyörgy – IC 201 – Budapest-Déli – 20432 (bank engine, empty train) – Budapest-Keleti

30. 05. 2014., Friday
Budapest-Keleti – 23612 (empty train) – Nagykáta – 3639 – Budapest-Keleti – 9200 – Győr – 990 – Sopron – 9923 – Győr – 9203 – Budapest-Keleti – IC 948 – Győr

31. 05. 2014., Saturday
Győr – 29320 (empty train) – Hegyeshalom – 9409 – Budapest-Keleti – 9292 – Győr – 9303 – Budapest-Keleti – IC 918 – Csorna – IC 938 – Sorpon – 46863 (freight train) – Ferencváros

01. 06. 2014., vaásrnap
Ferencváros – solo engine – Budapest-Déli – 850 – Balatonszentgyörgy – 860 – Keszthely – 865 – Balatonszentgyörgy – 855 – Budapest-Déli – 8506 – Nagykanizsa – 8531 – Siófok

02. 06. 2014., Monday
Siófok – 8530 – Nagykanizsa – 857 – Budapest-Déli – 850 – Nagykanizsa – 8235 – Dombóvár – IC 816 – Pécs

03. 06. 2014., Tuesday
Pécs – 8009 – Budapest-Déli – 854 – Balatonszentgyörgy – 853 – Budapest-Déli

04. 06. 2014., Wendesday
Budapest-Déli – 852 – Balatonszentgyörgy – IC 201 – Budapest-Déli – 20300 (solo engine) – Ferencváros

MAV 480

The locomotive was presented today in Budapest-Nyugati. Afterwards it went out for its revenue service in this livery: IC 1565 "Kócsag" from Budapest-Nyugati to Nyíregyháza.

This locomotive will soon pull the pilgrimage train "Történelmi Székely Gyors" from Budapest to Csíkszereda/Miercurea Ciuc in Romania. Interesting: from Debrecen to Cluj Napoca it will run together with a Hungarian and a Romanian diesel locomotive, because this section is not electrified. - PH

MAV 480

It was selected from over 100 contributions to the design contest. MAV 480

One livery will be selected and aplied on a MAV 480 series locomotive that will haul the annual Csíksomlyó express to Şumuleu Ciuc in Romania. MAV 480

MAV 480

This year, MAV locomotive 480 005 hauled the special pelgrimage train. The Hungarian railways always try to arrange a special locomotive for traction. In 2012, MAV 470 010 was used. In 2011 the Franz Liszt locomotive, GySEV 1047 503.

Not many machines will get so much attention as the Csíksomlyó express locomotive.

MAV 480

An overview of the first duties with 480 005 here. - PH MAV 480

With a special livery, the locomotive commemorates the fact that king Matthias Corvinus (in Hungarian: Hunyadi Mátyás or Mátyás király) enthroned 555 years ago. - PH

Check all entries to the competition here.

- 372/373 Transsylvania IC (Budapest-Keleti - Brasov)
- 346/347 Dacia (former EN, now international fast train) (Budapest-Keleti - Bucuresti Nord)
- 472/473 Ister EN (Budapest Keleti - Bucuresti Nord)
to be hauled by locomotives belonging to Romanian CFR SA

- IC 72/73 "Traianus" (Budapest-Keleti - Bucuresti Nord vv)
- IC 79/78 "Kőrös" (Budapest-Keleti - Timisoara-Nord vv)
to be hauled by TRAKCIÖ MAV Zrt. locomotives.

The title image shows 480 001 with the Traianus service for the first time. - AVI/CV/RJ MAV 480

The images show 480 001 with IC79 Budapest-Timisoara. Last week the locomotive was running between Timisoara and Curtici for training Romanian traindrivers. - AVI MAV 480

On 03.02.2012, unit 025 completed its approval run in Hungary to get its running license. The batch of 25 is complete. - Bombardier / GV / CK MAV 480

MAV 480

Today and yesterday, the The Railway Days 2011 – or Wider Black Sea Area Railway Summit - takes place in Bucharest (RO). Part of this event is an exhibition of railway vehicles, most of them (re)built/renovated/refurbished by Romanian companies. The video gives a good impression of the various projects.

In the mean time we get some first images of this years exhibition. Interesting combination on display are the Transmontana locomotive (480 001) of Softronic, nowadays in service of the Romanian railways, and the MAV 480 002 (see also 8.32 min in the movie). The latter one will soon start homologation trials in Romania.

MAV 480

Today, MAV 480 001 was be presented with a new livery, commemorating Kálmán Kandó, an Hungarian pioneer in the development of electric locomotives and railway systems. 79 years ago, locomotive V40 001, designed by Mr. Kandó made its first trial run. The presentation took place at Budapest Keleti station. - MF MAV 480

Delivery is currently at a steady pace. On 05.08.2011, the 480 007 and 008 left Kassel, heading for Hungary. 480 009 was waiting for its maiden run at that moment. Our thanks goes out to all visitors who have contributed their images. MAV 480

Both MÁV and Bombardier representatives held their speeches, and there was the possibility to take a look inside. In the cab: there is no EBuLa installed, but the indicators of the Hungarian safety system EVM had been integrated to the MFA. Remarkable: the MÁV-Traxx has a high-speed hand washing facility. - KB/CK/MF/PH MAV 480

The MAV 480 series portrait. MAV 480

product: Traxx P160 AC locomotives, also for 160 kph.
number: 25, plus 25 as option
order value: 80 million euro ($112 million US)
delivery start: spring 2011
service domain: passenger service in Hungary + cross-border transport to Austria and Germany

The MÁV units most likely represent the latest Traxx platform (We call it Traxx 2E) which up till now has no members for AC voltage systems only. > correction: the MAV units will be normal P160 AC2 units.

-Bombardier MAV 480

KfW IPEX is providing 52 pct of the loan and the EIB 48 pct. The first repayment of the 15-year loan is due in June 2013. MAV-Trakcio will take delivery of the first Bombardier Traxx engine in the first half of 2011 or as early as December 2010. The remaining engines will arrive within two years. The engines will represent the P160 configuration of the Traxx platform, but it's unknown if this will be the AC2 version (similar to DB's 146.2 series) or the AC2E version, still to be developed. source: http://investhungary.com

Some additional images of the signing ceremeny and even a scale model are to be foud here - JV MAV 480

"The contract for the delivery of 25 state-of-the-art dual-frequency electric locomotives Type Traxx with 25 more on option was ceremonially signed in the Royal Lounge of Budapest Nyugati station by Ake Wennberg president (Locomotives and Equipment), Peter Ammann vice-president (Sales and Marketing Locomotives), Pierre Maillan director (Sales Locomotives) on behalf of Bombardier Transporation and by István Heinzinger, CEO of MÁV Zrt. László György Zsákay, CEO of MÁV Trakció Railway Traction Zrt., the future operator of the locomotives was also participating the ceremony.

The new locomotives will replace partly the Series V43 locomotives in current operation. The the obsolete Series V43 is well riped for replacement as the main parameters are not meeting the up-to-date requirements any more.

The basic expectations against the new locomotives are the dual frequency operation, with a haulage capacity of 2000 tons with 120 km/h respectively 160 km/h speed. The higher speed (140-160 km/h) is required specificly for the passenger train operation both in the international and domestic traffic. (This expectation is met now by the locomotives Taurus and series V63 of MÁV Trakció Zrt. only) The Public Procurement Procedure for the purchase of the new locomotives was initiated in early September 2007 by MÁV. In the two-stage tendering procedure the result of the first participation stage was announced on November 12, 2007 and consequently Bombardier Transporatrion GmbH was requested to submit an offer. Submission date of the offer was December 19, 2007, this was followed by the contracting and price negotiations with the manufacturer. After the endorsement of the founder of MÁV Zrt. (Ministry of Transports, Telecommunication and Energy Matters) issued in September 2008, the official result of the Public Procurement Procedure was announced on November 17, 2008.

MÁV Zrt. is buying the first 25 locomotives against 3.094.000 EUR unit price from Bombardier Transportation. Delivery deadline is 2 years from the time of signing the financing contract.

The price of the locomotives will be covered by means-financing credit line, the financing partner will be selected in the frame of a separate Public Procurement Procedure by MÁV Zrt and MÁV-Trakció Zrt." - MAV MAV 480