This paper describes the integrated periodic timetable (ITF – abbreviation from German term Intergrierter Takt Fahrplan) on Hungarian railway networks within its introduction and future. The project for a new timetable began in 2004 with a pilot project on suburban lines around Budapest. Income increased by approximately 12 percent in the first months, wherefore it was decided for the extension of the system to cover the majority of the railway network. The main step started in 2006, in the eastern part of the country. The backbone of the system is a new InterCity network, with hourly services between all major cities in the eastern and northern part of the country. In the following years the implementation of the system for the entire network has slowed down, but now we have ITF on all important lines of the network. On lines where the ITF was implemented, it has stopped the previous constant 10–12 percent yearly decrease in ridership, moreover on all hourly system ITF lines passenger numbers further increased a few percent.

ITF, Hungary, integrated periodic timetable, results