Metro in Budapest

• Metro in Budapest

Let's talk about the underground in Budapest.

Today, it is only three branches, or 40 stations - very tiny. From one end to the other can be reached in 30 minutes. Most stations have a boring, monotonous design, stands out only the first, yellow line - and there is the other cars, and design of the late 19th century. Yes, the subway in Budapest, the first in continental Europe.

These cute yellow cabins go only by yellow line.

opened this branch was in 1896 to the millennium "Finding of the motherland," the arrival of the Hungarians in the Danube. In the 70s of the 19th century Budapest was one of the biggest cities in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was an important cultural and industrial center. The population grew, and there was a need for a good public transport. The National Assembly of Hungary back in 1870, supported the idea to build a subway, although construction began only in 1894.

Subway cars in 1896

The first station yellow line were ground in a complex situation with sewage. Trains ran every two minutes a day and can carry up to 35 000 people.

The old station Millenium

Later they began to appear underground station. Budapest metro relatively shallow - only a few meters under the ground. Only the stairs you can go down on the yellow line station escalators there.

Color coding of the subway entrance. We immediately see that the yellow line. At the inputs of other metro lines you will find almost no signs and even signs. Entrance to the underground pedestrian crossing may be the entrance to the subway.

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Old image of the first metro line on Andrassy Avenue

On the other two branches - blue and red - shuttle cars made in the Soviet Union

In the early 50-ies it was planned to build a new branch. It took a new rolling stock, and the Hungarians decided to invite experts from the Soviet Union. Ganz at the plant designed and built the new rolling stock on the basis of the Mytishchi plant cars. Due to some political and financial reasons for subway construction in the mid-50s at the time we stopped, and with it, and testing of the Hungarian production cars. Then they just drove into the sump, they stood for more than 10 years, and their cut. In the 60 subway construction resumed, and was designed by the new composition of the G2, which cruised in the 1990s. All other compounds were purchased from the Soviet Union at the Mytishchi Carriage Works.

Recently, our cars began to write off the second, the red line of the Budapest Metro. By the way, this is the only branch that crosses the Danube, located not only in Pest, but also Buda. Now here sometimes ply company cars Alstom.

This HEV - an analog of our trains: Suburban railway line, scatter in small towns located at a distance of 20-50 km from the capital.

to all stations located in the city can be reached by subway, so residents of the area are very fast, without any problems to get to the very center of Budapest.

In cars without the frills

As I said, Metro Station in Budapest's enough of the same type and boring. Only on the yellow line has hints of its historic past.

And this new station (relatively new).

Boring

in the Budapest subway great navigation! There are clear signs, charts, maps and boards, which are written travel arrangements. Information in both English and German.

A pointer to the racetrack

The Budapest subway turnstiles there. Validators installed at the entrances through which you have your ticket kompostiruete. This does not mean that you can easily drive through a hare. If you get it done, then you're in luck. The inputs are usually at the validator controllers and check the tickets. And usually it's not a small woman and alert Grandma, and the strong men (or women)). Supervisors may find you not only at the entrance to the underground, but also come in wagons or check at the station. If the ticket does not buy it, and you tormoznet controller, will have to pay a fine of 8000 forints. As in most of Europe, Budapest has one ticket for all modes of transport. You can buy a travel card, and can be a special booklet on several trips that you have to be composted. Tickets are sold at newsstands or by such machines (which are not at all stations).

For limited mobility Budapest metro is not the most ideal. Transitions uncomfortable, and only the fourth line being built will be equipped with elevators for the disabled. Now, there are somewhere around three lifts on the same line. The BKV transport company, which is responsible for the entire public transport network, previously provided insurance for passengers, but now she is in a difficult financial situation, and all privileges revoked.

Now comes the construction of Metro Line 4. Generally the Budapest Metro is not so in demand as other public transportation - trams or trolley buses are crammed, but the subway is almost always possible to sit quietly in the car, there are no queues and crowding. The fourth line is scheduled to start in 2014, and then start the fifth.