Freight transport in Hungary is growing, but rail freight is actually decreasing. During the first quarter of 2025, the total tonnes of freight transported by rail in the country decreased by 14.2%. On the other hand, the transport of goods by air continues to be on the rise, growing at a staggering rate.
In terms of absolute numbers, there was an equal decrease in domestic and international volumes, with an 11.9% drop each, according to data from the MBH Analysis Center. However, the specific figures were not immediately available. Much of the rail freight traffic in Hungary (84%) concerns international services.
Q1 air freight figures exceeds annual ones from 2015
A completely opposite trend was observed for air freight, with a 28.6% increase in number of cargo flights. The airport in Budapest alone recorded a year-on-year growth of 55.1% in Q1 2025, totalling over 94,000 tonnes. The MBH analysis pointed out that this figure equals the total tonnes of goods transported by air in 2015, underlining how quickly this sector has been growing.
The rise of air cargo is driven mainly by automotive, pharmaceutical products and e-commerce. Most of this trade takes place with Asian countries, which account for 80% of the total, with China alone reaching 43%, the analysis said. To this end, a new cargo airport will be built in Budapest to further expand capacity.
Rail freight downward trend
Most of the Hungarian rail freight industry has been struggling for quite some time. Higher costs and lower revenues paired with infrastructure works and lack of competitiveness with the road are complicating the sector’s life. On the other hand, there are some positive developments coming from the intermodal sector, with a 122% growth in TEUs between 2023 and 2024.
Investment in fast freight services is required. Upgrade the track and offer incentives.