Storm chaos at the Balaton: pillar crashed onto tracks! ⚡

A fierce storm swept Lake Balaton's southern shore, where a support pillar fell onto the tracks between Lepsény and Zamárdi, completely halting Balaton rail traffic. 🌪️ Thousands of lakeside travellers were stranded – this section is key to linking towns around the lake, from Siófok through Balatonföldvár.

The accident happened Thursday afternoon: the gale knocked down the pillar, also damaging the overhead line. Lepsény still had power, but at Zamárdi tracks were in total blackout. MÁV ordered traffic restrictions and provides replacement buses, but this heavily burdens southern shore traffic. Locals say the storm hit suddenly; many were heading home or to the lakeside by train.

Especially sensitive in the Balaton region: holidaymakers arriving for the weekend must now reach Zamárdi, Siófok or Balatonszárszó by car or bus. At the start of tourist season 🚂 rail reliability is vital – many choose green transport for Balaton festivals. Locals worry about longer outage affecting work and school commutes. MÁV is working on repairs, but fixes may take hours.

Source: 444.hu