Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said the next phase of the HUF 130 bln project could now start, paving the way for the establishment of one of the biggest industrial intermodal terminals in Eastern Europe.

Around HUF 1 trillion of investments are underway in Debrecen after German car maker BMW decided to put the focus of its future electromobility strategy in the city and "Europe's biggest battery plant" undergoes construction, he said, referring to the more than EUR 7 bln manufacturing facility of China's Catl.

These projects require "enormous" transport infrastructure developments, he added.

He noted that around 70% of vehicles produced at the BMW plant would be shipped out via rail. The electrification of rail lines will also benefit local rail passenger traffic as diesel locomotives can be swapped out for electric ones, he added.