Line crossing U2 / U5
The U2 / U5 line intersection is an expansion project under construction for the Vienna subway . It provides for eleven new stations, a 9 km route and the creation of a new underground line U5 . The project is to be implemented in two stages by 2028.
The U2 is from the seaside town of Aspern coming from the schottentor a new Südast to Wienerberg get. The existing section of the U2 from Karlsplatz to the town hall and a new line on to Elterleinplatz will be the route of the U5. The U5 is to become the first fully automatic underground line in Vienna. The costs for the first expansion stage amount to approx. 1 billion euros. The first preparatory work began on October 8, 2018.
Project subject
In addition to the construction of the line intersection at the Rathaus underground station, the expansion project also includes the construction of a new southern line of the U2, the construction of a new northern line for the new U5 and the adaptation of the existing U2 stations from Karlsplatz to the Rathaus for the the planned fully automatic operation of the U5 line. The project is being implemented in two parts, with the first part currently being built as part of the fourth expansion stage of the Vienna subway and the second part being planned for the fifth expansion stage .
The new lines to be built for U2 and U5 should run entirely in the tunnel. The newly constructed stations of the U2 will be designed according to the line design of the U2 already used when the U2 was extended to Seestadt Aspern , the newly constructed stations of the U5 according to a new line design of the U5 designed by YF Architects and Franz & Sue Architects .
U2
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The U2 will get a new route from the station Schottentor coming from Seestadt. The first station after the Schottentor station will be the Rathaus station, where new platforms will be built for the U2, as the existing platforms will serve the U5. The track currently used by the U2 will be an operating track. This means that the narrowest arc to date in the Vienna underground network will no longer be used for regular operations.
After the town hall, the next station will be the Neubaugasse underground station , with the U2 station being built 35 meters below the existing U3 station. From here, the new route leads directly to the Pilgramgasse underground station , where a link with the U4 is established. New platforms are being built here under those of the U4 and under the Wien River . From here, the route continues south under the 5th district to the Reinprechtsdorfer Strasse underground station . From here the U2 runs to the Matzleinsdorfer Platz S-Bahn station .
In the second part of the U2 / U5 expansion project, the U2 is to be extended from here further south via the Gussriegelstraße station to the new terminus on Wienerberg .
U5
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The new U5 will take over the existing route of the U2 from Karlsplatz to the town hall. At Karlsplatz you can change to the U1 and U4 . The Museumsquartier station is right at the beginning or end of Mariahilfer Straße . At the Volkstheater station, you can change to the U3. After the Volkstheater station, the U5 reaches the Rathaus station. The new switch to the U2 will be located here. The U5 trains will use the platforms of the current U2.
The new line will be built from the Rathaus station. The U5 follows Landesgerichtsstrasse to the new Frankhplatz underground station . This station is located in the middle of the university district and will allow you to change to tram lines 43 and 44.
The Frankhplatz station will be the end of the line for the time being, as the rest of the route to Elterleinplatz is part of the second part of the U2 / U5 extension project. The U5 leads from Frankhplatz in a left curve to the Arne-Karlsson-Park underground station . Here you can change to the seven tram lines 5, 33, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42. The new Michelbeuern-AKH crossing station is reached in another left curve with the U6 . The general hospital will thus be connected to a second underground line. From here the U5 leads to its provisional terminus at the Elterleinplatz underground station . An extension to the Hernals train station on the suburban line (S45) or further to Dornbach was discussed, but is not part of the project.
The U5 is to become the first fully automatic underground line in Vienna. These were from the Wiener Linien new metro trains ( wagon X ) at Siemens ordered. For safety reasons, platform screen doors will be erected on the U5 route, including at the existing stations. These open and close at the same time as the doors of the train.
Investigation of variants
Several variants of the routing of the extension of the U2 and the new U5 were examined in advance. Above all, with the fundamental question of whether the two lines should be routed as a tangent solution or as a line cross, each with the link at the Rathaus station.
In order to relieve the heavily loaded tram lines 43, an underground line was to be built from the city center to Hernals. There are no other ways to strengthen tram line 43, as the trains would interfere with each other. Therefore, there is only a relief by a subway route. This should run between the lines U3 ( Ottakring ) and U4 ( Döbling ).
The U6 and bus line 13A are to be relieved with a new subway line. The new line is to run parallel to this between U6 and U1.
The branches to be newly built (Hernals and Favoriten ) can only be linked by an additional underground line. Therefore a new line U5 was planned. The link can be made in two ways, using a line cross or in the form of a tangent solution.
With the tangent solution, the new U5 would serve both new branches. The U2 would remain in its previous form. The two lines would be linked at a subway station on the Ring or via several connection points if the new route were to be drawn into the first district. The U5 line would therefore run from the west to the south.
With the intersection solution, the U2 and U5 lines would swap branches at a station on the Ring.
In the course of the investigation, the crossing solution turned out to be the better option. Due to the crossing lines, new direct connections will be created and the heavily used Schottentor station will be relieved by a third. The tangent solution would be easier to implement, but it would result in fewer direct connections.
Line U5
In the preliminary investigation, the choice fell on the intersection solution. The question also arose whether the line intersection should be at the existing U2 Rathaus station or at a newly built Frankhplatz station. Frankhplatz would have the advantage that this station would be completely rebuilt and thus the station would be less complicated to build than expanding the existing Rathaus station. However, this variant has the disadvantage that the U2 would have to be headed west from the Schottentor and thus the U2 would have to take a long detour. A link at the Rathaus station brings more comfort for more passengers. The choice fell on the Rathaus station as the connection point.
The route of the U5 from the town hall to the Gürtel ( U6 ) can be done in two ways. The U5 could be linked to the U6 at the Alser Straße underground station or at the Michelbeuern station. The guided tour to Alser Straße has the advantage that it is shorter. However, the station building of the Alser Straße station is a listed building. A link can only be made indirectly via the street level. A guided tour to the AKH has the advantage that the trams on Währinger Straße can be connected directly to the underground at Spitalgasse and the Michelbeuern-AKH station is easier to expand. In addition, the General Hospital of the City of Vienna (AKH), one of the largest hospitals in Europe, is connected with a second underground line.
The Elterleinplatz station is planned as the provisional final stop. Elterleinplatz is located exactly in the center of the Hernals district. Here you can change to tram lines 9,43,44. The heavily used tram line 43 can thus be relieved.
In the future, the U5 could then be extended from Elterleinplatz to Dornbach . There would then be an option to change to the suburban line (S45). A further extension beyond Dornbach does not make sense due to the low population density and geographical conditions.
Lines U2
The U2 runs from the town hall via Neubaugasse (U3) to Pilgramgasse (U4). Several variants of this were examined. The U2 can be connected to the main S-Bahn line either at the main station , at Matzleinsdorfer Platz or at Meidling station .
The low construction costs and the connection to long-distance transport speak in favor of the main station variant. Against this, the fact that the area is already very well connected to public transport and that the main train station has only just been built and that one would rather avoid a new construction site. Furthermore, the U6 cannot be relieved.
The Meidling variant would have the advantage of a connection to long-distance traffic and the greatest relief of the U6. However, a further extension beyond Meidling is no longer sensible, as the population density is very low here and parallel routes to the connecting line and the southern line would arise.
The Matzleinsdorfer Platz variant offers the opportunity to access the 10th district via the Gürtel. From here there are two further routes. From Matzleinsdorfer Platz you could drive to Raxstraße or Wienerberg . Both variants would offer the 10th district very well. The tour to Raxstraße would have the best cost-benefit ratio. However, there are hardly any urban planning options on Raxstrasse. The extension to the Wienerberg would have the advantage that the Wienerberg with its high-rise buildings would be directly connected to the underground network. There are also urban planning options here. The Wienerberg tangent can also be used more homogeneously. Furthermore, the U6 is better relieved. The U2 can also be extended south towards Inzersdorf later. The choice fell on the Wienerberg.
Distribution to the expansion stages
Due to its size, the project was divided into two parts, with the first part still being built as part of the fourth expansion stage of the Vienna subway. In the first part, the U2 to Matzleinsdorfer Platz and the U5 to Frankhplatz will be built. This allows the U6 to be relieved very early in the middle area. Since the U2 will be on a new route from the town hall, the section from Karlsplatz to the town hall must also continue to operate sensibly. Therefore, it makes sense to extend the U5 by at least one stop from the town hall to Frankhplatz. As a result, there will be opportunities to change to tram lines 43 and 44 in the first construction stage. The other planned sections of the route are to be built as part of the fifth stage of expansion of the Vienna subway.
construction
The details of the construction data:
start of building
The official groundbreaking took place on October 8, 2018 at Matzleinsdorfer Platz. A 65 m long, 35 m wide and 35 m deep shaft is being built here, which will later be the starting point for the tunnel boring machine . The tunnel boring machine will dig its way from Matzleinsdorfer Platz to Augustinerplatz. It is then dismantled at Augustinerplatz, brought to the surface and transported away. The starting shaft will later be integrated into the station building. The choice of the location on Matzleinsdorfer Platz has the advantage that all of the excavated material can be transported to the shaft and removed from there. This means that 20,000 truck journeys in the inner city can be avoided.
Construction work also began on Pilgramgasse in October 2018, where a 2000 m² work platform was erected over the Wien River .
In the course of the modernization of the U4 ( NEU4 ) and the associated total closure in the summer of 2019 between the Längenfeldgasse and Karlsplatz subway stations, preliminary work for the intersection with the U2 has already been carried out at the Pilgramgasse station. For this preliminary work, the Pilgramgasse station was not used for a year. During the total closure, the southern station building was completely dismantled and rebuilt in order to be able to build the U2 below it later. The station has been served by the U4 again since January 31st.
Building methods
Three different construction methods are used in the project. The main tunnels are excavated with a tunnel boring machine. Only the section from Augustinerplatz to Schottentor is being built using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NÖT). The station tunnels are also being excavated with the NET. In the area of the station entrances and the section from the town hall to Frankhplatz, the open construction method will be used.
construction time
In 2025, after around five years of construction, the U5 will start operating between Karlsplatz and Frankhplatz. The U2 is expected to follow two years later. The longer construction time of the U2 line is mainly due to the more complicated characteristics of the line. Many new connection points are created along the route. An already existing station must always be supported and expanded. The new platforms are very deep (30–35 m), which makes the work even more difficult.
Delays
The original plan was to put the first expansion stage of the U5 line into operation in 2023 and the branch of the U2 line to Matzleinsdorfer Platz in 2025. Due to Austria's EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2018, the schedule was postponed by one year, as important road axes were to be kept free of construction sites during the Council Presidency. The U5 line would have gone into operation in 2024 and the U2 in 2026. The second part of the U5 to be built as part of the fifth expansion phase could have been completed in 2026, that of the U2 in 2028.
At the end of 2018 it became known that the completion date of the line intersection would be delayed by another year. The reason for this would be the too good order situation of the construction companies, which was reflected in the offers and was too high for Wiener Linien . That is why Wiener Linien decided to repeat the tender and, in the hope that this would make the offers cheaper, to grant the construction companies more “freedom”. The tenders are still ongoing.
financing
For the two parts of the project as a whole, costs of 2 billion euros were expected in 2018. It should have spent 1 billion euros each for the first and second part. Traditionally, the costs are divided equally between the federal government and the City of Vienna . The financing of the first part, which is part of the fourth expansion stage of the Vienna subway, has already been agreed; there is no such agreement for the second part.
In October 2019, rumors emerged that the total costs of the first expansion phase could increase by 200 million euros. Wiener Linien and the City of Vienna said that more precise information could only be given here when the new offers from the construction companies were received. It remains to be seen whether the originally expected costs can be met.
Additional changes in the network of Wiener Linien
New tram to Wienerberg
In time with the completion of the U2 line to Wienerberg in 2029, the 15A bus line is to be converted to tram operation. This new line 15 would then run as a tangential line from the Altes Landgut underground station (U1), via the Wienerberg (U2) to the Meidling station (long-distance traffic, S-Bahn, U6).
Bus route 48A
The bus line 48A is to get a new stop at the Rathaus station.
Infocenter Volkstheater
Since the end of 2016, a 700 m² information center on the project has been set up in the Volkstheater subway station . In addition to plans and other information on the project, a 1: 1 model of a section of a new U5 station has been reproduced. A simulator of a tunnel boring machine is also exhibited here. The planning of a fictitious underground line U7 can also be tried out.
criticism
Critics of the project say that the high costs of the project do not justify the benefits.
It is also criticized that the subway is being expanded in the city center, which is already very well developed, and that the outskirts are being neglected, even though there is an urgent need to improve public transport. According to Wiener Linien and the city of Vienna, the already heavily loaded lines 13A, 6, U6 and U3 should be relieved so that the very fast growing city of Vienna, which will probably have over 2 million inhabitants in the next few years, does not sink into the traffic chaos. It is necessary to strengthen the network in the center and then expand it outwards.
The division of the expansion stages also met with criticism. In particular, the U5, for which only a single additional station will be built in the first stage of expansion ( Frankhplatz underground station ), makes little sense in terms of traffic in this form.
The lack of a connection between the U5 and the suburban line (S45) is also criticized. One or two additional stations would be necessary for this. The Viennese city government promised support from the city for such an extension if the federal government would contribute half of the financing.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Variant investigation - underground expansion of U2 and U5: basic questions about the route. Line cross or tangent? In: wien.gv.at. City of Vienna, accessed on July 27, 2020 : “... With the tangent solution, the new U5 to be built runs in a semicircle as a continuous line from west to south and touches the U2 in the Rathaus station. The U2 will be retained. In the Linienkreuz variant, the U2 will be extended southwards at the Rathaus station, while the U5 will be rebuilt between Hernals and Rathaus and will take over the current U2 route between Rathaus and Karlsplatz. [...] The decision was made on the solution with the U2 / U5 line intersection. "
- ↑ Investigation of variants - U2 and U5 expansion of the U-Bahn: line routing of the U5 - line intersection at the Rathaus or Frankhplatz station? In: wien.gv.at. City of Vienna, accessed on July 27, 2020 .
- ↑ Investigation of variants - U2 and U5 expansion of the subway: routing of the U2. In: wien.gv.at. City of Vienna, accessed on July 27, 2020 .
- ↑ U2xU5 - the new U2 and the new U5. Information portal for U2 extension and U5 construction. In: u2u5.wien.gv.at. City of Vienna, accessed on July 10, 2020 .
- ↑ spri: U5 will only run through Vienna from 2024, from 2019 two-year partial U2 closure. In: The Standard . November 30, 2017, accessed June 26, 2020 .
- ↑ Oona Kroisleinter: Construction of the Vienna U2 / U5 is delayed by up to a year. Wiener Linien does not want to stay “stubbornly on schedule” at the expense of taxpayers. The advantage of the delay: there is more time to find the route for bus line 13A. In: The Standard . November 9, 2018, accessed June 26, 2020 .
- ↑ "Concerning": Underground construction already € 200 million above target? In: Krone.at . October 9, 2019, accessed June 26, 2020 .
- ↑ General tram planning. City of Vienna, accessed on July 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Rathaus station. City of Vienna, accessed on August 2, 2020 .
- ↑ APA , Red .: Experience the U5 now: The multimedia information center of Wiener Linien. In: Vienna.at. Russmedia, November 7, 2016, accessed June 26, 2020 .