Heard the one about the horse-drawn railway? It was Hungary’s first. We are standing at the \u00dajpesti l\u00f3vas\u00fat v\u00e9g\u00e1llom\u00e1s its original station. This \u00dajpesti l\u00f3vas\u00fat v\u00e9g\u00e1llom\u00e1s started its service on July 30 1866. The \u00dajpesti l\u00f3vas\u00fat connected the independent city of \u00dajpest with Pest. Pest became later part of Budapest.
Count S\u00e1ndor K\u00e1rolyi initiated this pioneering transport. His family owned large estates in \u00dajpest. The count recognized the need for better transport. Before the railway an omnibus connected \u00dajpest and Pest. However it only carried 14 people at a time.
With a building permit K\u00e1rolyi established the Pest Road Railway Company. Construction finished in the summer of 1866. The grand opening took place on July 30 1866 at 4 p.m.. Regular traffic started on August 1 1866. A contemporary report described the opening. Five cars carried city officials noblewomen shareholders citizens and journalists. Folk musicians played cheerful tunes. The journey to \u00dajpest lasted thirty-six minutes. A celebrating crowd greeted the first Hungarian horse-drawn railway. The service staff wore Hungarian clothes. Carters wore blue corded grey attilas. Conductors wore dark blue uniforms. A beep warned pedestrians of the approaching carriage.
Open canvas-covered carriages ran from Sz\u00e9na Square to today’s Nyugati Railway Station. Closed cars traveled to \u00dajpest. The journey took 35 to 37 minutes.
The Vas\u00e1rnapi Ujs\u00e1g reported on the railway’s popularity. People rushed to try this new mode of transport. The box office made 200 HUF a day from fares. The article noted initial problems. Carriages derailed sometimes. Carters needed time to learn to handle the new vehicles.
Horse-drawn carriages carried 30 to 40 people. Omnibuses only carried 14. A first-class ticket cost 20 krajc\u00e1r. A third-class ticket cost 10 krajc\u00e1r. Factory workers got a 25 percent discount. The horse-drawn carriage helped \u00dajpest’s development. It provided quick transport to the growing factories from Pest. The \u00dajpest line extended to R\u00e1kospalota in 1872.
The \u00dajpest line was the first. Horse-drawn railways quickly spread in Pest and Buda. In 1879 the network connected the two shores via Margit Bridge. The network peaked in 1889. Three hundred fifty carriages traveled on 45.8 kilometers. Twelve hundred horses serviced them.
The tram displaced the horse-drawn carriage. In the 1890s Budapest converted horse-drawn railway tracks to electric operation. Trams have operated on the \u00dajpest line since 1896. The horse-drawn railway remained only on Margit Island until 1928. The last omnibus ran until November 5 1929.
Wagner J\u00e1nos approved the plans for today’s building. He got the approval on January 7 1867. But the reports already illustrated the building in August 1866.
The \u00dajpesti l\u00f3vas\u00fat v\u00e9g\u00e1llomu00e1s building has served passengers for over a century. In 1896 the tram replaced the horse railway.
Today the \u00dajpesti l\u00f3vas\u00fat v\u00e9g\u00e1llom\u00e1s is home to the Bailiff Chamber. This historic building stands as a reminder of Budapest’s transportation history. It marks the start of mass transit in the city. A horse-drawn railway eml\u00e9kt\u00e1bla also stands in the IX. district today. It commemorates the K\u00e1lvin t\u00e9r to \u00dajpest route from 1866.n