The Hungarian National Concessions Office (part of the Government of Hungary) has issued a multi-stage public-private partnership (PPP) tender inviting private construction and operating firms to finance, build and operate an approximately 27 km electrified rail link between central Budapest and Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport under a 35-year concession, with the contract process beginning in Hungary and bids due by February 6, 2026. 

The tender outlines the development of roughly 27 km of electrified, double-track railway, equivalent to about 60.6 track-km, engineered for operating speeds between 80 and 200 km/h based on route geometry and connections with existing corridors. The infrastructure is designed to accommodate a 225-kN axle load and must meet European interoperability standards and TEN-T network requirements. The works cover both new route construction and refurbishment, together with capacity enhancements on sections of the current national rail system in eastern Budapest. Works encompass track and subgrade, overhead catenary systems, traction power supply, signaling, telecommunications and train control systems, along with associated civil structures needed to accommodate airport services alongside conventional rail traffic. A key technical obligation is the delivery of a deep-level underground station at the airport, which the tender defines as a baseline requirement. This feature makes the scheme one of the more technically complex airport rail projects currently moving into procurement, involving major excavation and structural construction beneath operating airside facilities, ties into terminal structures, and the installation of fire-life-safety systems, waterproofing, and passenger access and circulation infrastructure—all while ensuring airport activities continue without disruption.

The tender omits project-specific geotechnical information, requiring bidders to evaluate subsurface conditions and related risks before advancing into detailed design—an especially significant factor given the variable alluvial soils and groundwater around Budapest’s airport. Elements such as track geometry, electrical power and signaling systems, tunnels, and the underground station will need to meet stringent long-term performance and renewal criteria, making constructability and lifecycle cost key factors in proposal development. Although the tender does not specify a definitive capital cost, industry estimates have consistently valued the airport rail link at around US$1.1 billion.