On a Friday evening in Budapest, a fire broke out involving a locomotive at the Keleti Railway Station, located on the side adjacent to Verseny Street.

The incident prompted emergency response from the city's Fire Department, which received the alarm around 6 PM. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered that a heating locomotive had caught fire on one of the station's sidetracks.

The blaze extended to one of four additional locomotives positioned nearby.

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.

However, a shunting manager was hospitalized with suspected smoke inhalation while attempting salvage operations.

The railway operator, Hungarian State Railways (MÁV), confirmed that traffic at the station was restricted due to the fire, leading to delays and alterations to several train routes.

Disruptions were announced for several services originating from Keleti.

Notably, the S60 train to Sülysáp, S80 to Gödöllő, and G60 to Szolnok operated from alternate starting points.

Similarly, long-distance trains such as the Békés InterCity and Ister InterCity faced delays ranging from 50 to 90 minutes.

By late Friday evening, MÁV reported that the fire was under control, and regular train services were progressively restored.

Additionally, MÁV made a public statement expressing gratitude to its staff for their prompt response and announced that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The possibility of arson has not been ruled out.

The investigation and cleanup operations continued at the site, with visibly heavy smoke still present.

MÁV emphasized that decisive action by the on-site personnel, including the use of diesel locomotives, prevented more extensive damage.

Around 30 railway cars were quickly moved away from the affected area, sparing them from the blaze.

This incident highlights the challenges faced by urban rail networks in managing emergencies and the critical role of swift intervention in minimizing risks to infrastructure and passengers.