A long-planned renovation of Keleti pályaudvar - Hungary's busiest railway station - would cost Ft 18 billion (over €66.2 million), but only Ft 10 million is available this year for keeping it from further deteriorating, daily Magyar Hírlap learned from state railways company MÁV. The dire state of the terminal is highlighted by the fact that a 1,000-square-meter wing of the building has been closed for years due to a massive fungus infection.

Plans for the renovations of the 125-year-old station were completed in 2000, but have since expired since and need reevaluation. There is also another problem, namely that the building is a protected monument, meaning any renovations have to be approved by the National Office of Cultural Heritage (KÖH) first. According to the paper, work to keep the place from further going to hell will only be started in 2011-2012 at the earliest.

Interestingly, MÁV reacted to the question about the fungus infection as if they had not known about it, the daily notes. They promised prompt investigation, despite the fact that the dangerous infection was verified by an expert six years ago.