On a typically bustling evening at Budapest's Keleti Railway Station, an unexpected blaze engulfed a heating locomotive, prompting a swift emergency response.

The fire, which took place on a sidetrack near the station's Verseny Street side, generated thick smoke visible from afar, leading to significant disruption in rail services.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing large clouds of smoke and flames emanating from the affected locomotive, used primarily for providing energy to stationary trains.

The fire eventually spread to an adjacent railcar, raising concerns about the potential threat to nearby locomotives.

In response, teams from the capital's professional fire brigade and volunteers from the Lőrinc-Kertváros fire service quickly descended on the scene.

By 8 PM, the firefighters had subdued the main blaze using two water jets, though some smoldering parts of the locomotive required further attention.

Authorities, including spokesperson Kiss Ádám István from the Budapest Disaster Management Directorate, coordinated the firefighting efforts.

The operation was overseen by the disaster management's operational command.

To ensure safety and facilitate rescue operations, the station's operations were temporarily restricted, causing delays and modifications to several train schedules.

Mávinform, the rail information service, detailed the incident, confirming it involved a pre-heating locomotive near the station's carriage repair workshop.

During firefighting efforts, the transport authority limited station traffic, resulting in train departures being delayed or rerouted, primarily affecting services bound for Keleti.

By later in the evening, the station resumed normal operations, although some residual delays persisted.

Fortunately, no injuries occurred due to the incident.

The National Havaria Centre managed the contingency travel arrangements for impacted passengers, offering alternate routes and options.

Following the incident, the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) launched an immediate investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire, with no possibilities, including potential arson, being ruled out at this stage.

In light of the fire, some trains were redirected, terminating at nearby stations such as Kőbánya or Rákos.

Passengers were advised to stay updated on service changes and travel modifications through MÁV's official channels.

Images snapped by onlookers and shared online highlighted the scale of the disruption, capturing the significant smoke plume and the subsequent crowd of waiting travelers.

The incident underscores the challenges faced by major rail networks in maintaining operational safety and service reliability amid unforeseen emergencies.