Subway line 3 (Vienna)

Ottakring ↔ Simmering
U3 train in the Ottakring terminus
Route length:	13.402 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system :	750V  =
Top speed:	80 km / h
Legend Ottakring Parking facility Ottakring (enclosed) Kendlerstrasse Hütteldorfer Strasse John Street Schweglerstrasse Westbahnhof Zieglergasse Neubaugasse (under construction) Popular theater Herrengasse Stephansplatz Room gate Operating track 7: U4- Schwedenplatz Vienna River Country road Rochusgasse Kardinal-Nagl-Platz Schlachthausgasse Enclosed Erdberg Erdberg depot gasometer Zippererstrasse Enkplatz Simmering

The U3 underground line is part of the Vienna underground network and has a current route length of around 13.5 kilometers to 21 stations. It runs in a west-east direction from the Ottakring station via the center of Vienna to the Simmering station . The average travel time between the two end stations is 25 minutes.

The U3 is the youngest and most frequented underground line in Vienna, with the line between Westbahnhof and Landstrasse being the busiest. With the exception of short sections at the Ottakring and Erdberg stations, it runs completely underground. The groundbreaking for the construction of the U3 took place in 1983, the first section opened in 1991, the last in December 2000. This subway line is considered to be completed, no extensions or extensions are currently planned; their signal color is orange.

course

True-to-scale representation of the course of the line U3

From Ottakring to the Westbahnhof

The U3 begins at a high altitude at Ottakring station and runs parallel to the ÖBB tracks towards the south. Shortly before the Kendlerstraße station , the above-ground part of the U3 ends in the 16th district . After the route has passed the border to the 14th district at Steinbruchstrasse, a slight left turn begins, followed by the Hütteldorfer Strasse station . After the station there is another slight left turn; The U3 runs from Beckmanngasse, which is also the border with the 15th district , directly under Meiselstraße to the east. This is followed by the Johnstrasse station . The Schweglerstraße station is in a slight S-curve . After the Westbahnhof , where the U6 line crosses and is the starting point for numerous national railway lines, the U3 crosses under the Gürtel and thus the border from the 15th district to the 6th and 7th district .

From Westbahnhof to Landstrasse

The line now passes under Mariahilfer Straße on the border between Mariahilf and Neubau. This is followed by the Zieglergasse and Neubaugasse stations , the platforms of which are on two floors one below the other. After Kirchengasse in the 7th district, the route takes a slight left curve and continues north to the Volkstheater station between the ring and the two-line line . Here the U2 is crossed. After this station, which is already largely in the 1st district , the underground takes a right turn under the Volksgarten. The next stop is Herrengasse station . After this station, the U3 swings to the right again and then drives under the ditch that ends at Stephansplatz. The station of the same name is located here in the center of Vienna, where the U1 line crosses . The route continues under the 1st district; the last station of the U3 in the inner city is the station Stubentor am Stubenring. After this, the U3 passes under the Stadtpark and in the area of ​​the Stubenbrücke it crosses the Wien River , which forms the border between the 1st and 3rd district . This is followed by the Landstrasse station with the shortest station distance between two stations of the U3, 503 meters from the Stubentor . The U3 station is lower than that of the U4 line , which you can change to here. This station is also used by the S-Bahn .

From the road to Simmering

The route continues under Landstraßer Hauptstraße . After the Rochusgasse station , the route continues straight ahead under Hainburger Strasse. The Kardinal-Nagl-Platz station and the Schlachthausgasse station are located here . After another slight S-curve, the U3 passes under Thomas-Klestil-Platz, named after the former Federal President Thomas Klestil , and then comes back to light for the first time since the beginning of the tunnel in the 16th district at the former terminus Erdberg . The line continues parallel to Erdbergstrasse, the route leads past the Erdberg depot, descends back into the tunnel, and then takes a right turn, at the end of which is the Gasometer station , which is already in the 11th district . This is followed by the Zippererstraße station with a subsequent left curve. The Simmeringer Hauptstrasse is crossed under. The penultimate station is on Enkplatz . From here the route of the U3 runs parallel to Simmeringer Hauptstraße, slightly offset, until you reach the Simmering terminus .

• 

  Erdberg station above ground

• 

  Johnstrasse station

• 

  Entrance from Mariahilfer Straße to Zieglergasse station

• 

  The station opened in 2000 at Vienna Gasometers

history

The U3 line is a completely new line. There had been plans for this line since the 1960s. In the course of the construction of the U1 station Stephansplatz , the platforms of the U3 were already built in the shell. Construction of the U3 only began in the 1980s. The first section of this line from Erdberg to Volkstheater was opened on April 6, 1991. The U3 is the youngest line in the Vienna underground network. In 1993 the line was extended to the Westbahnhof and at the same time the two tram lines 52 and 58 that ran through the inner Mariahilfer Strasse to the Burgring were shortened to the Westbahnhof. Today, this decision is viewed critically, as the U3 is at its peak in this section. In 1994 the next section of the U3 between Westbahnhof and Johnstrasse was opened. The section from Johnstrasse to Ottakring station followed 4 years later , with which the U3 had reached its western end.

In 2000, just in time for the turn of the millennium, the U3 was also extended in the east to its current terminal in Simmering . No further extensions are currently being planned, but there are demands from various district politicians to extend the U3 from Simmering via the central cemetery to Kaiserebersdorf . The U3 stations Stubentor , Stephansplatz , Neubaugasse and Zieglergasse , where the tracks and platforms are one above the other, are a special feature of the Vienna underground network . The lower platform (towards Ottakring) is at an average of 18 m, while the upper platform (towards Simmering) is at an average of 12 m.

The stations, which are often artistically designed, are also typical of this line. These are mainly contemporary works of art, among others by Anton Lehmden , Adolf Frohner , Oswald Oberhuber and the video artist Nam June Paik . Archaeological finds from the history of Vienna can also be seen in some stations.

architecture

The line design of the U3 built in the second expansion stage was designed by the U-Bahn (AGU) architectural group in collaboration with the “KuPa” office (architects Otto Kucera and Helmut Partsch). It represents an evolution of the panel system developed by the AGU for U1 and U4; especially with regard to the durability and resistance of the materials used. In terms of design, the reduced design language compared to the stations of U1 and U4 is striking. The characteristic round arches along the platforms were replaced by straight interiors. Instead, the reception buildings were given barrel-shaped roof structures. A notable innovation compared to the structures of the first expansion stage is the installation of elevators in all stations. A new type of access was developed for this purpose, which includes an elevator, escalators and staircase in one place. This amalgamation of the functions in a reception building should make it easier for passengers to find their way around.

With the exception of the Volkstheater station , which bears the signature of the architect Kurt Schlauss , all route structures have a uniform design.

Operating times and cycle

time	Mon-Fri (school)	Mon-Fri (holidays)	Saturday	Sunday and holiday
12:00 AM to 4:30 AM	No operation	No operation	15 minutes	15 minutes
4:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.	3-5 minutes	4-5 minutes	7 minutes	7 minutes
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.	3-5 minutes	4-5 minutes	5 minutes	5 minutes
8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.	8 minutes	8 minutes	8 minutes	8 minutes

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Line U3. In: wiener-untergrund.at (private website). Retrieved February 23, 2020 . 
2. ^ Art in the stations. In: wiener-untergrund.at (private website). Retrieved January 16, 2020 . 
3. ↑ New art on the U3: Michael Hedwig's "Movements of the Soul". City of Vienna (OTS), accessed on January 16, 2020 . 
4. ↑ Built to last. Vienna subway architecture. Wiener Linien, accessed on May 18, 2016 . 
5. ↑ The architecture of the U1 and its development. Archived from the original ; accessed on February 23, 2020 . 

Web links

Commons : U-Bahn-Linie U3 (Vienna)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Stadtverkehr-Austria-Wiki - Line U3