Rusted echoes: Budapest's forgotten train graveyard revealed
Looking at this train graveyard, one gets the impression that time has stood still. The abandoned vehicles have never regained their former glory and are silent witnesses to a bygone era.
The abandoned facility in Istvántelek, known as the "Red Star Train Graveyard," covers a vast area outside Budapest. Built-in the early 20th century, the complex was originally a repair workshop for the Hungarian State Railways. Despite the passage of time, many machines still stand here under the open sky, accelerating their corrosion and decay.
Trains that were silent witnesses to human tragedy
In this mysterious location, you can find over 100 trains covered in thick layers of rust. Some of these machines were silent witnesses to human tragedy. There are still trains here that were used by the Germans to transport Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz.
This neglected railway workshop, now a kind of history cemetery, has become an unusual tourist attraction. It should be noted that there were original plans to restore the exhibits here, but the project was abandoned due to a lack of funds.
Among these relics, you can see several Hungarian steam locomotives, such as the 136,000-kilogram MAV 424, with its characteristic red stars that gave the place its name. There is also the MAV 301 from 1911-1914, one of two such specimens that have survived to this day. The graveyard area also includes newer machines from the Soviet era, and in some carriages, you can still find train tickets from the 1960s.
Wild dogs may roam the area
Visitors to this extraordinary facility must remember to exercise extreme caution. It is important not to venture too far into the woods, where you may encounter wild dogs. Istvántelek is not the only place with abandoned trains; similar ones can be found in Siberia, where wagons from the Stalin era have been discovered. More about this Russian train graveyard can be read here.
