Metro Budapest

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BKV metro.svg
Metro Budapest
Budapest-metro.png
Basic data
Country Hungary
city Budapest
opening 1896
Route length 39.4 km
Stations 52
use
vehicles Quite földalatti villamos, Metrowagonmasch 81-717 / 714 , AM4-M4, AM5-M2
operator BKV Zrt.
Gauge 1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system 550 V = overhead conductor rail ( M1), 825 V = lateral conductor rail (M2-M4)
Station Szent Gellért tér 2014 (renamed Szent Gellért tér-Műegyetem in 2019 )
The refurbished Opera der Földalatti station (M1)

The Metró Budapest is the underground system of the Hungarian capital Budapest . The "Millennium Underground" ( Millenniumi Földalatti Vasút , line M1) went into operation on the occasion of the millennium celebrations for the millennial conquest of the Hungarians in 1896. At that time it was - apart from the underground Tünel - funicular railway in Istanbul (1875) - after the London Underground (1863) and the Liverpool Overhead Railway (1893) the third underground railway in the world.

Decades later, two lines built with the help of the Soviet Union were added (M2 and M3), which, in contrast to the M1, were greatly expanded even after their construction. The fourth subway line (M4) went into operation on March 28, 2014 . A fifth line (M5) is being planned. The entire network of the Budapest Metró is currently 39.4 kilometers long and has 52  stations .

Lines and operations

The metro network of the city of Budapest consists of four lines with a total length of 39.4 kilometers and 52 stations, three of which are above ground. It is operated from 4:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. on weekdays, on weekends until 00:30 a.m. with a cycle of between three and five minutes, and in rush hour with a more frequent cycle. The only crossing point of the lines M1, M2 and M3 is the Deák Ferenc tér station in the center of the city. Line M4, which was inaugurated in March 2014, offers a further hub station with lines M2 ( Keleti pályaudvar ) and M3 (Kálvin tér) a little further outside.

There is a sophisticated range of tariffs, including three-day cards. The Budapest subway is a "free system" with no barriers or similar devices at the subway entrances. However, there are very often access controls of all boarding passengers by inspectors at the head of the escalators . In addition, the car is occasionally checked again.

Almost all tunnel stations of the large-profile network (lines M2, M3 and M4) are equipped with escalators, elevators are only installed in the renovated stations. The escalators can be switched as required, that is, depending on the daily situation or need, the escalators can be set to ascending, descending or not in operation.

Both terminals of Budapest Airport are connected to the terminal station Nagyvárad tér of the M3 via the 200E express bus.

line route opening length Stations Average station distance Travel time
Subway M1BKV metro.svg BKV m 1 jms.svg Vörösmarty tér - Deák Ferenc tér - Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út - Opera - Oktogon - Vörösmarty utca - Kodály körönd - Bajza utca - Hősök tere - Széchenyi fürdő - Mexikói út 1896 4.4 km 11 440 m 11 min
Metro M2BKV metro.svg BKV m 2 jms.svg Déli pályaudvar (south station) - Széll Kálmán tér - Batthyány tér - Kossuth Lajos tér - Deák Ferenc tér - Astoria - Blaha Lujza tér - Keleti pályaudvar (east station) - Puskás Ferenc stadium - Pillangó utca - Örs vezér tere 1970 10.3 km 11 1030 m 18 min
Metro M3BKV metro.svg BKV m 3 jms.svg Újpest-Központ - Újpest-Városkapu - Gyöngyösi utca - Forgách utca - Göncz Árpád Városközpont (formerly Arpad híd ) - Dózsa Gyürgy út - Lehel tér - Nyugati pályaudvar (West Station) - Arany János utca - Deak Ferenc ter - Ferenciek - Kálvin tér - Corvin-negyed - Semmelweis Klinikák - Nagyvárad tér - Népliget - Ecseri út - Pöttyös utca - Határ út - Kőbánya-Kispest 1976 17.3 km 20th 911 m 32 min
M4 subwayBKV metro.svg BKV m 4 jms.svg Kelenfold vasútállomás (Kelenfold Bf) - Bikas park - Újbuda-központ - Móricz Zsigmond körtér - Szent Gellert tér - Műegyetem - Fővám tér - Kálvin tér - Rákóczi tér - II János tér Pál pápa. - Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern) 2014 7.4 km 10 822 m 13 min
A total of: 39.4 km 52

history

Construction of the Földalatti

Földalatti chariot at Hősök tere (Heroes' Square)
One of the first railcars from 1896
Opening plaque of the Franz Joseph Electric Underground

In 1893 the Budapest Electric Tram Company (abbreviated BVVV) and the Budapest Horse Railway Company (abbreviated BKVT) tried to get a joint concession for a tram on the Andrássy út boulevard , which was completed in 1876, but this was rejected. Thereupon the general director of the BVVV, Mór Balázs , proposed to realize the project of the companies Siemens & Halske and the Budapest Electric Tramway Company for an underground railway under Andrássy út , which was submitted on January 22nd, 1894 .

This turned out to be very favorable, as the city administration was already planning the celebrations for the millennium of the founding of the state of Hungary (896). The great Budapest Millennium Exhibition in 1896 was to take place in the Városliget (in German: Stadtwäldchen). However, the transportation of the numerous exhibition visitors and event guests was an unsolved problem, and so the subway plans came at just the right time.

With a narrow window of opportunity, the approval process went down in history as the fastest ever for a subway that took less than five months to complete.

Siemens & Halske , who also wanted to build a subway in Berlin , also advertised that the subway would be the first on the European continent and would give the city a more sophisticated character. So it was decided to finish the subway by the anniversary celebrations. The following stations were planned for this one line:

  • Gizella tér (today Vörösmarty tér )
  • Deák Ferenc tér
  • Váczi körút (today Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út )
  • Opera
  • Octagon
  • Vörösmarty utca
  • Körönd (today Kodály körönd )
  • Bajza utca
  • Aréna út (today Hősök tere )
  • Zoo (the station no longer exists because the route was relocated in 1973)
  • Artézi fürdő (today Széchenyi fürdő )

The railway was named in Hungarian Földalatti (Hungarian föld "earth, ground", alatt "under"; thus: "the underground").

All train stations were to have the usual side platforms at the time, and the entrances and exits were planned as magnificent pavilions. The necessary workshop should be built near the Aréna út station by the city park.

Finally, the two Budapest transport companies commissioned the German company Siemens & Halske to carry out the construction. The first phase of construction began on December 29, 1894. After less than two years, the line was put into operation on May 2, 1896. It was 3.68 kilometers long, 3.22 kilometers of which were in the tunnel and 460 meters on the surface. The track was as Unterpflasterbahn carried out in a simple low position. Overall, the construction costs exceeded all plans, but on-time completion was achieved.

A total of ten railcars, which were clad with both wood and metal, were purchased for the operation of the subway. While the trains themselves were manufactured by Schlick Vasöntő és Gépgyár (in German: foundry and machine production Schlick ), Siemens & Halske provided the electrical equipment. The vehicles required an unusual construction with long girders in the shape of a gooseneck and a low-floor passenger compartment located between the bogies , as the tunnels had to be built very low due to a sewer below with a clearance height of only 2.85 meters. The trains received their power from a two-pole overhead conductor rail , on the open section via a two-pole single contact line suspended from masts. The contact wire voltage was relatively low at 350  volts .

After the opening of today's so-called Millennium Line (Millenniumi Földalatti Vasút) between Gizella tér and Artézi fürdő on May 2, 1896, the then Austrian Emperor and Hungarian King Franz Joseph I (Hungarian I. Ferencz József ) visited on May 8 the subway. The emperor, who got on at the Gizella tér station , drove to the terminus in a car specially prepared for him in order to view the entire subway. In honor of the Hungarian king and Austrian emperor, he received an ornate and splendid underground view album from the transport company responsible for operation. As a thank you, the regent announced the decree that the subway would be allowed to bear his name in the future. Since then, the subway has been called Ferencz József Földalatti Villamos Vasút in Hungarian , and “Franz Joseph Electric Subway” in German. The transport company was now also called the "Electric subway company Franz Joseph" (abbreviated to FJFVV).

Further development of the existing line

The passenger numbers developed very well, and so the price of the single ticket, which was very expensive at the beginning, was reduced from twenty to twelve Heller . In addition, the range of tickets has been expanded to include zone and monthly tickets. The boundary between the two zones that existed at the time was at the octagon .

Due to their relatively poor condition, the twenty vehicles were to be replaced in 1917 or renewed by additional trains. However, due to the economic problems and the consequences of the First World War , this decision, which was also supported by the Hungarian government, could not be implemented. At this time it was also necessary for the first time to use female workers to eliminate the shortage of male workers caused by the war.

On January 1, 1923, the FJFVV was transformed into the Budapest Capital Transport Company (BSZKRT). They had ambitious goals for the subway, which at the time was in relatively poor shape. Among other things, the superstructure had to be renovated. In addition, the vehicles were renewed with more powerful engines and double-leaf doors instead of the previous sliding doors. In addition, the driving voltage was increased from 350 volts to the voltage of 550 volts also used by the Budapest tram.

Rehabilitation and extension of the Földalatti

Hall of the newly opened company workshop on Mexikói út
Jingle, station announcement ( Vörösmarty utca ) and dispatch signal in the Millennium Underground

After the Second World War , Budapest's population increased steadily. In order to cope with the large flows of passengers, the BSZKRT had the platforms extended. Sixteen new control cars were procured, which now drove in a train with the other vehicles in order to be able to carry more passengers. All railcars received new bogies and engines.

In the years 1970 to 1973 the "small underground" was completely renovated, with particular attention being paid to the preservation of historical monuments . The route was switched to right-hand drive. With the completion of the work on December 30th, an extension of 1250 meters to Mexikói út (German: Mexikostraße) went into operation at the same time . This eliminated the above-ground section in the city forest, line 1 reached its current state and at the same time the Budapest districts of Zugló and Újpalota were also connected to the Budapest city center around today's Deák Ferenc tér and Vörösmarty tér .

Newly developed eight-axle articulated trains that reach a top speed of 60 km / h were also put into service. The cars were manufactured by Ganz Villamossági Művek (Ganz Elektrowerke) and Ganz-MÁVAG (Ganz Machine and Car Manufacturing) and are still in use today.

The workshop on Aréna út was closed and relocated to Mexikói út , where there is considerably more space and a connection to the tram network could be established. In addition to this work, individual train stations were renamed: Gizella tér was now called Vörösmarty tér , Körönd since then Kodály körönd , Aréna út now Hősök tere and Artézi fürdő received the name Széchenyi fürdő .

In two stages from east to west

Since the opening of the first underground line, there have been plans for further routes, but their realization was half a century in coming. Due to the population increase after the Second World War, today around 1.7 million people live in Budapest, a revised network was decided in 1947, which included a new east-west line and a north-south line. Construction of the east-west line began in 1950. The first construction phase ran from Deák Ferenc tér in the center to the eastern Népstadion . Overall, this east-west line, now known as M2, should lead from the Népstadion via the Keleti pályaudvar (east station) and the center under the Danube to the Déli pályaudvar (south station). At the planning stage it was 7.8 kilometers long and should have nine stations.

By 1953, three kilometers of the line had been built, after which the economic situation in Hungary deteriorated rapidly, so that the construction work for the underground had to be stopped. The tunnels were used for the storage of food until 1963, when construction work could only be resumed. The plans for this route were redesigned again: In the east, it was extended by two stations to Örs vezér tere . The Astoria station , named after the hotel located there , was also inserted between the Deák Ferenc tér and Blaha Lujza tér train stations .

The longest escalators can be found on the M2

The construction of this line was strictly based on the Soviet model. It was built at a depth of up to 60 meters and all stations were designed as splendidly as possible. Since the ceilings in the stations were relatively low, in contrast to Moscow, no large chandeliers could be hung. The design features were mainly a lot of stone, which should be reminiscent of marble as possible , and long rows of seats, which are now avoided in other subway systems, as they are very popular as sleeping places for the homeless.

The first new metro line after 1896 was put into operation on April 2, 1970 between Deák Ferenc tér and Örs vezér tere . In the year the new line went into operation, it was already being used by 250,000 passengers a day. At the same time, the workshop for the M2 began its work between the Örs vezér tere and Pillangó utca stations .

Two years later, on December 22, 1972, the 3.5-kilometer section Deák Ferenc tér  - Déli pályaudvar went into operation, crossing under the Danube. The number of passengers then doubled to 500,000 passengers per day. The entire M2 was now completed.

On January 1, 2004, the four-track station Népstadion was renamed Stadionok . Today the M2 is 6.5 kilometers long and has eleven stations. Between 2004 and 2007 the M2 was completely refurbished, with the tunnel systems being technically renewed and the stations visually upgraded. In 2011 the stations Stadionok were renamed Puskás Ferenc Stadion and Moszkva tér in Széll Kálmán tér .

Current stations of line M2 (+ transfer lines):

Construction of the M3

Nagyvárad tér station shortly after opening (1976)

Just a few weeks after the opening of the M2, work began on a new underground line in Budapest. The first section of the new north-south line, which lies entirely on the Pest side of the city , begins at the central Deák Ferenc tér , where the M1 and M2 lines already cross, and leads south to Nagyvárad tér . This part of the new line has five stations over a length of 3.7 kilometers. In the underground it lies between the two existing lines at a depth of about 20 to 30 meters: the Millennium U-Bahn was built just a few meters below the surface (“ Unterpflasterbahn ”), the M2 was built up to sixty meters deep, based on the Soviet model Shield tunneling machines built. At Deák Ferenc tér , a tunnel connection to the M2 was established at the same time as the line was being built, as this previously had the only operating workshop for the trains used on the new lines.

Northern terminus of the M3: Újpest-Központ

After four years of construction, operations began on December 31, 1976 on the Deák Ferenc tér - Nagyvárad tér line. After that, there was steady progress with the construction of the underground, and the southern and northern districts also urgently needed an underground connection, as the trams and buses were overloaded. Again after four years, on April 20, 1980, the trains ran to Kőbánya-Kispest . At the terminus, similar to the M2, the workshop for Budapest's third metro line was opened at the same time. In the meantime, the increasingly important north-south line needed its own workshop, as that of the M2 was increasingly overloaded.

A year and a half later, on December 30, 1981, the northern section of the M3 to Élmunkás tér (today Lehel tér ) was put into operation. Since the traffic on the important Váci út road could not be interrupted, shield tunneling was chosen for this stretch of the route. It was now possible to reach Budapest's three most important train stations by metro, even if one had to change trains once from or to Nyugati pályaudvar (western train station).

Much more time was required for the one-station extension to Árpád híd - it only went into operation on November 7, 1984.

After many financial difficulties, it was only on December 14, 1990 that the M3 could be extended to Újpest-Központ . Apart from the fact that only side platforms were built here, the passenger notices clear differences in the design features: Instead of stone cladding, a lot of aluminum sheets were used. In addition, the stations can only be distinguished by the signs, as the same colors have been used almost every time.

Construction of the M4

The Újbuda-központ station
on the M4 line

Line M4, which has been under construction since 2004, was opened on March 28, 2014 and replaces the express buses of line 7, which had already reached the limits of their capacity. On January 23, 2006, the contract for the construction of the M4 was signed by the BKV . It begins at the important Keleti pályaudvar (Ostbahnhof), where there is also a connection to the M2 line, and leads over Kálvin tér (M3) and under the Danube to Südbuda (Újbuda) and to Kelenföld train station . In total, it is 7.4 kilometers long. The fully automatic line M4 was prepared for a top speed of 80 km / h and a 90-second cycle. There is an above-ground depot near the Kelenföld vasútállomás station . Siemens Transportation Systems received the order to equip this line as the first Hungarian subway for fully automatic, driverless operation. The order volume of around 109 million euros includes the traction power supply, control and safety technology, telecommunications and equipment for the control center.

In addition to the route to Kelenföldi pályaudvar, it could also receive a second line branch to Budafok, Városház tér . In the north, according to the original plan, the route of the M4 line was to be extended via the already established Bosnyák tér station with two intermediate stations to Nyírpalota út . More recent plans from 2014, however, provide for a tram to Újpalota instead of extending the metro. This would also replace tram lines 44 and 67, which were closed in 1997.

Expansion and planning

A possible route for the fifth subway line

For all lines there are only very long-term plans for route extensions. For the planned expansion of the M4 line, see Construction of the M4 .

Line 2 is to be connected to the HÉV network at Örs Vezér tere in order to create a direct connection from the city limits to the center. Örs Vezér tere is currently the eastern terminus of metro line 2, where HÉV trains also end. The idea of ​​integrating the H8 and H9 lines into the subway system is quite old, but the high cost of the project has so far prevented construction; the connection is still being planned.

In the long term, line M3 in the north of Újpest-Központ is to be extended to Káposztásmegyer , with between three and five intermediate stations. This route was already planned when the metro line was built, but for cost reasons the line could only be built as far as the Újpest-Központ station; the extension to the originally planned terminal has been planned since then.
There were also considerations of extending the route in the other direction, to the airport; now a new railway line is being planned instead.

In the more distant future there will be a fifth metro line in Budapest, which will lead from the north of Buda via Margaret Island to the center of Pest . It is planned to connect the HÉV suburban lines H5 from Szentendre , H6 from Ráckeve and H7 from Csepel and Ráckeve with an inner city tunnel . The planned M5 line would cross the existing lines at the following stations: Lehel tér (M3), Oktogon (M1), Astoria (M2) and Kálvin tér (M3 / M4). However, there are currently no specific plans for the start of construction or a possible completion date and are unlikely to be expected in the next few years either.

vehicles

The Budapest subway is operationally divided into two areas: the Millennium subway (line M1) and the later built lines M2, M3 and M4. While the M1 is supplied with a voltage of 550 volts via an overhead conductor rail, the three other lines received a lateral conductor rail with a voltage of 825 volts DC . The subway routes differ not only in terms of their power supply; other vehicles with different dimensions are also used.

Vehicles on lines M2, M3 and M4

First attempt: type P

In the 1950s, when the construction of the M2 line began, a Hungarian vehicle was also developed. The first two cars were completed in 1953 and the first test drives began. Construction work on the line was suddenly canceled in 1954 and the whole subway project stopped. When construction work on this route began again, the vehicles built in Hungary were already out of date and were scrapped.
It was planned in the next few years to buy trains of Hungarian origin, but the manufacturer Ganz had to contend with considerable difficulties at the time and could not take on the order.

The Soviet wagons

Water strider and Ev3 side by side
Type 81–717 / 14 in the Kőbánya-Kispest terminus

After the train built in Hungary failed, the city had to procure vehicles from abroad. The country was under the influence of the Soviet Union and had little chance of buying vehicles from other countries. At that time, the largest manufacturer was the Metrowagonmasch company located near Moscow, which, along with other subway networks, also took over the production of trains for Budapest.

  • The first series delivered to Budapest between 1969 and 1972 was called " Еv ". Here the letter E stands for the type family “Е” and the “v” for the Russian name of Hungary (Венгрия). The trains were given car numbers from 100 to 199. Features of the type are the passenger compartment illuminated with incandescent lamps and the engines with an output of 66 kW. Of the total of 100 cars put into operation, 45 were modernized between 2000 and 2002 and the type designation was changed to EvA ; these got the nickname "Barbi". After several fires in cars from the oldest years of construction, they were scrapped in 2011. This led to an extension of the cycle times, and the parked wagons had to be put back into operation in 2012. The type was only used on the M2 line, the last trains were retired in 2013 when Alstom vehicles replaced them.
  • From 1975 further trains were ordered, with which minor changes were made. The biggest difference was the increased engine output to 72 kW, but the passenger compartment was also slightly changed. This was the type " Еv3 ", which was used on both the M2 and M3 lines. A total of 95 units were delivered to Budapest and were in passenger service until 2018.
  • Slightly modified trains were produced for the extension of the M3 towards the south, including more powerful motors and thyristor controls. For the passenger, the modified front is particularly noticeable, the interior remained unchanged. These cars are in a different color scheme in other cities, such as B. to be found in Prague or Warsaw . They are referred to as 81–717 and 81–714 . The cars of this type were also on the M2 and M3 lines, on the M2 line until 2012, on the M3 line until 2017.
  • In 2000, two more trains were added, each consisting of five cars. These were named 81-7172M and 81-7142M . Since they were equipped with more headlights than the other trains, the type was given the nickname water strider. The cars were originally on the M2 line, but in 2012 they switched to the M3 line, which ran until 2018.

These trains were used on lines M2 and M3 right from the start. They were already considered obsolete in the 1990s, and even then there were plans to acquire a new fleet of vehicles, but this did not happen until 2010 due to cost reasons.

Another Hungarian attempt: Type Ganz G2

All G2, already turned off

In order to replace the outdated trains, the Hungarian company Ganz was commissioned to develop a new generation of underground trains for Budapest. The first prototype was completed in 1986, two years later than planned. The test drives began in 1991, during the course of which several problems were identified. A proposal for a solution was made to Ganz, but no further prototype was built; the project was put on hold. The only train operated on the M3 line until 1995, after which it was shut down because of the difficult and costly operation. One of the train's wagons is on display in Szentendre .

The second generation: Alstom Metropolis

An Alstom Metropolis multiple unit is approaching the Örs Vezér tere terminus

After 2000 there were several underground projects in Budapest. On the one hand, the first large-profile line M2 built was already in need of renovation, and on the other hand, the first plans for the M4 line were drawn up. Since the trains running on the M2 line could no longer be maintained and the new M4 line also required additional vehicles, new cars were ordered. Alstom won the contract and the first trains were completed in 2008. The opening of the newly built M4 line was delayed considerably, however, and the wagons manufactured by Alstom did not receive an operating license due to problems with braking, among other things. The first trains of this type could only be put into operation in 2012 on the M2 line; at the same time, the oldest Ev models were parked. Since 2013, the M2 line has only been operated by Alstom trains. Here each train consists of five cars and is controlled semi-automatically. This means that there is a driver who authorizes doors and departure, but the train is automatically controlled while the train is in motion.

The M4 line was opened in 2014, and this type of construction has been used from the start. The four-car trains run without a driver.

New trains for the M3 line

Modernized multiple unit type 81-717.2K / 714.2K

The vehicles on the M2 line could be exchanged, but the first-generation trains continued to operate on the M3 line after 2016. The entire fleet of vehicles on this line urgently needed to be renewed because incidents had already occurred several times. One car burned out completely in 2011 and there were regular malfunctions due to damaged vehicles. It was long discussed whether the purchase of new cars was necessary or whether modernization of the existing ones was sufficient.
For cost reasons, the decision was made to have the existing wagons modernized by the manufacturer Metrowagonmasch. The modernization was costly; According to the manufacturer, the technical components have been completely redesigned. All measures are designed to ensure safe operation for a further 30 years. According to the manufacturer, only the driver's cab doors remained in the prototype train, everything else was redeveloped. However, passengers criticize the fact that only the driver's cabs were air-conditioned; instead, there is only a dense network of fans in the passenger compartments. The first train has been in regular service since 2017, the other sets followed until 2018. Since April 2018, only modernized cars have been running on the M3 line, known as
81-717.2K and 81-714.2K and nicknamed " Panda ".

Vehicle types at a glance

picture description Number (originally) Number (currently) Wagon number range Construction year in operation Lines
Line vehicles
Alstom Metropolis - Budapest Szent Gellért tér M4.jpg Alstom Metropolis 170 cars 410-579 2008–2012 (M2)
2012–2014 (M4)
since 2012 Lines M2 and M4
81-717-714 rénovée - Budapest Kőbánya-Kispest M3 (cropped) .jpg 81-717.2K and 81-714.2K
("Panda")
222 cars 600-673
6000-6147
2016-2018 since 2017 Line M3
Former vehicles
EV típus.jpg Ev and EvA 100 cars 0 100-199 1968-1972 1969-2013 only on line M2
Pillangó utca, Budapest metro 2, peron.JPG Ev3 95 cars 0 200-294 1975-1979 1975-2018 until 2013 on the M2 line
until 2018 on the M3
Budapest metro, Határ út.JPG 81-717 and 81-714 186 cars 0
(all wagons scrapped)
300-362
3000-3122
1980-1991 1980-2018 until 2013 on the M2 line
until 2018 on the M3
Ganz-Hunslet G2, Budapest metro 3, Szentendre.jpg Quite Hunslet G2 6 cars 0
(one car is on display)
400-405 1983 1991-1995 only on the M3 line
Blaha Lujza tér, Budapest metro M2.JPG 81–717.2M and 81–714.2M
("Wasserläufer")
10 cars 0
(all wagons scrapped)
363-366
3123-3128
1998 2000-2017 The trains were used on the M2 line until 2012, then on the M3 line until 2017.
All P 2 cars 0
(all wagons scrapped)
- 1951-1953 never in passenger service

M1 line vehicles

When the M1 line opened, 20 Siemens & Halske cars were put into operation, 10 of which were painted brown and operated by BKVT, the other 10 trains were yellow and belonged to BVVV. The original trains were modernized between 1924 and 1930, the bogies and engines were replaced and the doors replaced with larger ones. In order to be able to transport more passengers, the railcars also received a control car manufactured in Budapest.

Between 1972 and 1973 there was an elaborate restoration on this line, which affected not only the route but also the vehicles. New low-floor trains were ordered from the Hungarian company Ganz and a total of 23 units were put into operation by 1987. Only these trains are currently running on the M1. They reach a top speed of 60 km / h. They are three-part articulated railcars with Jakobs bogies and a total of eight axles. The cars are 29.56 meters long, 2.35 meters wide and weigh 36.96 tons. In contrast to the cars on lines M2, M3 and M4, where vehicles painted white are used, the trains used on the M1 are painted yellow. In the interior, the narrower profile of the “little subway” can be clearly felt. There are only a few seats available and the cars overcrowd very quickly. Car crossings are not possible because of the low car floor, the driver's cabs are located above the end bogies, as in the previous vehicles.

picture description Number (originally) Number (currently) Wagon number range Construction year in operation
Line vehicles
Mexikói út járműtelep, Budapest metro1.jpg Articulated trolleys from Ganz 23 moves 21-43 1971, 1973, 1987 since 1973
Former vehicles
A Millenniumi Földalatti Vasút mára megszünt felszíni szakasza a Hősök tere és a Széchenyi fürdő között.  Fortepan 94831.jpg Siemens & Halske car 20 cars 1 nostalgia (some more are on display in museums) 1-20 1896 1896-1973
Control car 16 cars (Some are exhibited in museums) 80-95 1959/1960 1960-1973

Depots

There are a total of four operating stations in the subway network, each line has its own. Only the sections of lines M2 and M3 are connected with each other, the others are isolated from each other.
The depots can be found in the following stations:

  • Line M1: Mexikói út
  • Line M2: Örs vezér tere
  • Line M3: Kőbánya-Kispest
  • Line M4: Kelenföld vasútállomás
Preserved Millennium Subway train in the Metro Museum

Underground Museum

On the initiative of the Budapest Transport Company and the Budapest Transport Museum, a museum on the underground of the Hungarian capital was set up in a separate tunnel section at Deák Ferenc tér in 1975 . When entering the museum, the visitor sees a bench and station board of the station Gizella tér (today Vörösmarty tér ), which were kept during the renovation in 1973. In the further part of the small museum, the various construction and time periods of the Millennium Underground are shown in three large showcases in Hungarian and English . The first showcase describes general urban traffic in the Hungarian capital as well as the design and planning phase of the metro. In the second showcase, the tunnel and vehicle construction is shown in detail. The third and last showcase reports on the various modernizations and the state of the network in general. There are also two underground trains in the museum, the railcar with the number 19 in front, a control car and the railcar with the number 1 in the back fürdő (today Széchenyi fürdő ) comes from. This was no longer necessary after the extension to Mexikói út .

The motor car with the number 12 is kept and exhibited in the Hanover Tram Museum in a hall. The motor car with the number 18 is kept in the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport , Maine, USA.

See also

literature

  • Walter J. Hinkel, Karlreiber, Gerhard Valenta, Helmut Liebsch: U-Bahn - yesterday-today-tomorrow - from 1863 to 2010 . NJ Schmid Verlagsgesellschaft, Vienna 2004, ISBN 3-900607-44-3 (chapter "Budapest")
  • Miklós Merczi: Budapest - The Museum of the Metro. Underground Railway Museum. Budapest Transport Museum, Budapest 1996, ISBN 963-554-073-6 , ISSN  0139-245X
  • David Bennett: Metro - The history of the subway , transpress, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-613-71262-8

Web links

Commons : Budapest Metro  album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. 444.hu
  2. ^ Bennett: Metro , p. 40
  3. ^ Press release from Siemens TS , October 10, 2006
  4. Germany Trade and Invest GmbH: GTAI - Search. In: www.gtai.de. Retrieved May 31, 2016 .
  5. Trams in Hungary, and more ... In: hampage.hu. Retrieved May 31, 2016 .
  6. iho.hu
  7. magyarepitok.hu
  8. bkv.hu
  9. hbweb.hu
  10. regionalbahn.hu
  11. langlovagok.hu
  12. index.hu
  13. mno.hu
  14. Hétfőtől felújított metró viszi az utasokat . origo.hu. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  15. Budapest Metro 18. Accessed July 3, 2020 .
This article was added to the list of excellent articles on August 9, 2005 in this version .