Nyugati is one of four main train stations in Budapest, each with their own metro station. Three are named after the points of the compass, in this case, ‘West’, although Nyugati mainly serves trains heading north. International services to Prague, Berlin and Poland leave from here. Opened in 1877, this is one of the oldest terminals in Budapest, standing alongside the Nagykörút. A previous iteration saw the first train to set off in Hungary, in 1846, bound for Vác with national poet Sándor Petőfi on board. In more recent times, it saw one of the world's most elegant McDonald's set up in one of its wings, beside a relandscaped square lined with other bars and cafés, most notably Zsiráf. For most of the pandemic, between 2020-21, the station was closed for a major revamp, of its roof and façade, the impressive iron-and-glass frontage created by the Gustave Eiffel Company of Paris tower fame, still with us, along with the large clock below which friends meet. Hopefully, the rebuild should not affect the royal waiting room, tucked at the back of the station, where Habsburg monarchs Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth could sit in comfort before their train set off. By contrast, below ground is still a warren of underground walkways and cheap goods.
