Istvántelek is a place that could easily serve as the perfect set for a post-apocalyptic film. This abandoned locomotive depot near Budapest witnessed the fall of the monarchy, the collapse of the empire, the fascist occupation and, of course, socialism. Today, the last traces of a human presence and nature are locked in a struggle.
A storehouse of historical memory
The depot’s official name is “Krasnaya Zvezda” (“Red Star”), and it is unique among similar places around the world. Here you can find the almost legendary 4-cylinder MAV 301 locomotives, built between 1911 and 1914. Only two of these models are left in the world, and both stand in the depot at Istvántelek. In total, about a hundred vehicles are rotting away in the depot.
The “Krasnaya Zvezda” depot was built in the early twentieth century, but at first it served as a construction base for the national railway. Today, only a few parts of the station are still in operation, all of them to the south. In all, the site holds two warehouses, open areas filled with carriages and locomotives, and several sheds. It is worth noting that some of the depot’s “residents” ended up staying here forever, quite by chance, after being sent in for repair and maintenance.
The main intrigue surrounding this place is the presumed use of the depot’s vans to send Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz. There is no firm proof of this; perhaps they are simply the same model.
Untouched artifacts
“Krasnaya Zvezda” has managed to remain almost completely untouched. Given Istvántelek’s proximity to a city of more than a million people, that seems almost unbelievable. Here you will not find graffiti or rubbish left behind by tourists and stalkers.
In the depot you can even find train tickets from the 1960s. Shelving, carriage interiors, paperwork in the offices, and tools are all still in their place in the silent depot. The engines are slowly rotting where they stand, and their wheels are sinking into the ground. The site has simply frozen in time; no one is carrying out any restoration, and the situation is unlikely to ever change.
You can enter the grounds only with special entry permits, as public access is closed here. The former depot is guarded and fenced off around its entire perimeter.
If you are interested in urban exploration, then come and join our tour around Kiev underground! Or the Chernobyl Exploration Tour