Budapest Metro
Encyclopedia
The Budapest Metro is the rapid transit
system in the Hungarian
capital Budapest
. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground
. Its iconic Line 1
, dating from 1896, was declared a World Heritage Site
in 2002.
Line 1 (yellow) runs northeast from the city centre to City Park
along Andrássy Avenue
.
Line 2 (red) runs generally east to west from the transit hub Örs vezér Square on the city's east side, and provides a connection between Keleti railway terminal and Déli railway terminal through the city centre.
Line 3 (blue) runs northwest from the transit hub Kőbánya-Kispest in the city's southeast, along Üllői Avenue
to the city centre, and then north to the district of Újpest
.
Except for short stretches near the depots of each line, the system is mostly underground.
All lines converge at Deák Ferenc square
in the city centre, forming the system's only transfer station. This bottleneck is to be remedied by the opening of Line 4, which will cross Line 2 and Line 3 at different stations.
Line 4 (green) will run southwest to northeast from the transit hub of Budapest Kelenföld railway station in the city's most populous district of Újbuda
across the inner city district of Józsefváros
to Keleti railway terminal.
The Metro forms a separate system from the Budapest HÉV commuter rail, though Line 2 of the Metro provides transfers to the termini of two of the four HÉV lines. Integration of the incompatible HÉV system into the Metro is a long-term goal, and forms the basis of the proposed Line 5.
was conceived as a means of carrying passengers from the city centre to the City Park
without the need for surface transport on Andrássy Avenue
. The Diet of Hungary
approved the metro project in 1870. Construction began in 1894 and was carried out by the German firm Siemens & Halske AG, employing 2,000 workers using state-of-the-art machinery. The line was built entirely from the surface using the cut-and-cover method. Completed on schedule, the metro was inaugurated on May 2, 1896 (the year of the thousandth anniversary of the arrival of the Magyars) by Emperor Franz Joseph
.
The original line followed a northeast-southwest route along Andrássy Avenue from Vörösmarty Square
to the City Park, a distance of 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi). There were a total of eleven stations, with nine underground and two above ground; the original terminus
at the Zoo has since been replaced. With trains running every two minutes, the line was capable of carrying up to 35,000 passengers per day. (Today it handles about 103,000 passengers on a workday.) One of the original cars has been preserved at the Seashore Trolley Museum
.
Plans for the next two metro lines were made as early as 1895, defining general north-south and east-west routes. More detailed planning for the second line began in 1942 and construction was launched in 1950 with a decree from the Council of Ministers. The line was originally scheduled for completion in 1955, but construction was put on hold for financial and political reasons from 1954 to 1963. Line 2 finally opened with seven stations on April 4 (a Communist
holiday) in 1970. It follows an east-west route, connecting the major Keleti (Eastern)
and Déli (Southern)
railway stations. It has a joint station with the original line at Deák Ferenc Square
, which has since become a transfer point for the third line as well. As of 2010 Line 2 is the only line to cross the Danube
and reach Buda
, the western part of Budapest.
The first line underwent a thorough refurbishment between 1970 and 1973, which included replacement of its rolling stock and a switch from left-hand drive to right-hand drive for the sake of consistency. In 1973, both lines were extended—the first with one station and the second with four. The lines reached their current lengths of 4.4 kilometres (2.7 mi) and 10.3 kilometres (6.4 mi), respectively. The Budapest Transport Company
(BKV) took over operation of the metro that same year.
Planning for Line 3 began in 1963 and construction started in 1970. The first section, consisting of six stations, opened in 1976. It was extended to the south in 1980 with five additional stations, and to the north in 1981, 1984, and 1990, with nine additional stations. With a length of 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) and a total of 20 stations, it is the longest line in Budapest. Concurrently with the opening of Line 3, the metro adopted a colour-coding scheme for easier identification. The first line was given the colour yellow, the second line red, and the third, blue. Additionally, green is used to mark the suburban railways (HÉV
) in and around Budapest.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Line 1 underwent major reconstruction. Of its 11 stations, eight are original and three were added during reconstruction. The original appearance of the old stations has been preserved, and each station feature displays of historical photographs and information. There is also a Millennium Underground Museum in the Deák Ferenc Square concourse where many other artifacts from the metro's early history can be seen.
Line 4 (under construction as of 2007) has a long history, dating back to 1972. In the planning phase, difficulties arose from the medicinal springs (for example, the Gellért Baths
) around its planned route. There was a long debate over whether its construction would be safe, what part should be funded by the government and the capital, whether it could be paid for from the Russian state debt towards Hungary, whether the route and length were appropriate, and whether a connector line (see M5 below) would be a better use of funds. If the line is finished by 2014 (which is the best case), its planning and construction will span 41 years, longer than any other Budapest metro line.
were renovated in 2004; Batthyány tér
, Astoria
, and Keleti pályaudvar
in 2005; and Déli pályaudvar
, Moszkva tér
(Name restored to Széll Kálman tér
on 12 May 2011), and Deák Ferenc tér in 2006. These are currently the most modern stations in Budapest. Elevators will be installed at Kossuth Lajos tér, Blaha Lujza tér, Keleti pályaudvar, and Astoria, and new air-conditioned carriages will be ordered.
Recently, the Urban and Suburban Transit Association
(Városi és Elővárosi Közlekedési Egyesület) presented a plan to unite Line 2 with the HÉV
from Gödöllő. The city government did not totally support the plan, but it still may proceed after 2015.
) to northeastern Budapest (Pest
). The first section between Kelenföldi Railway Station and Eastern Railway Station
, with a length of 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi), is due to be completed earliest in late 2014, comprising ten stations. The construction of the second section (with four stations) between Eastern Railway Station and Bosnyák Square, with a length of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), is not started yet. Site preparation at Bartók Béla Street and Fehérvári Street took place between 2002 and 2004. Pedestrian underpasses, which will later become metro concourses, were built at Móricz Zsigmond körtér
and Bocskai út.
In 2005 construction work began at Baross tér, the square in front of the Eastern Railway Station
. A new station exit and underpass were constructed, connecting the existing Line 2 station to the surface in the area of the parking lot. The new exit is needed to meet the significant increase in traffic demand expected in the future (an additional 600,000 passengers per day are expected to use the new line). The new exit will also enable the currently operating exit to be closed during construction of the new station. Work was completed by December 2005.
A schedule of the construction work is currently available in the Internet Archive.
), connecting with suburban railways going north and south. There is currently no planned start date for operation.
), perhaps also within the current decade. An extension to Ferenc Liszt airport has been made unlikely by the introduction of a train connection between the airport and the Western Railway Station
.
Tickets are validated at the station entrance before taking the escalator
, and must be retained until leaving the metro. At validation, the current date and time is printed on tickets along with station information. Tickets are checked manually by the pass controllers, who usually turn up at stations near the escalators, but they may inspect tickets anywhere within the metro system; tickets or passes must be handed over to them on request. Controllers wear a blue ribbon with golden inscription around their wrists, but they may hide it before the actual inspection. (An automated entrance system for the metro has been planned for a long time, as well as on all other public transport in Budapest, but as of 2007, the transport company has not published details.)
Platforms are designated by the terminus of that line; there are signs for these at the station entrances, usually at the escalators, and on the walls of the tunnels in both directions.
None of the stations of either lines 2 or 3 has yet been made handicapped-accessible, including the recently renovated stations. Line 4 will have stations accessible from the street level by elevators, but people in wheelchairs will not be able to use the underpasses when crossing the street. On Line 1 there are only three stations suitable for wheelchair users.
Travel rules are almost the same for all BKV
vehicles, and are available at the website of the transport company. These deal with the age and health state of travellers, size of luggage (some chemicals are prohibited), transportation conditions for dogs (ticket/pass, muzzle and lead are required), prohibition of smoking.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system in the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
capital Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. Its iconic Line 1
Line 1 (Budapest Metro)
The Metro 1 is the oldest line of the Budapest Metro system.Known in Budapest simply as "the underground" , it is the second oldest underground railway in the world , and the first on the European mainland. It was built from 1894 to 1896...
, dating from 1896, was declared a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 2002.
Lines
The Metro consists of three lines, each designated by a number and a colour. Metro Line 4 is currently under construction; the first section is scheduled to open in 2014.Line 1 (yellow) runs northeast from the city centre to City Park
City Park (Budapest)
Városliget is a public park in Budapest, Hungary close to the city centre. It is located in District XIV of Budapest. Its main entrance is Heroes' Square , one of Hungary's World Heritage sites.-Name:The area was formerly called Ökör-dűlő, meaning "Oxmeadow"...
along Andrássy Avenue
Andrássy Avenue
Andrássy Avenue is an iconic boulevard in Budapest, Hungary, dating back to 1872. It links Erzsébet Square with the Városliget. Lined with spectacular Neo-renaissance mansions and townhouses featuring fine facades and interiors, it was recognised as a World Heritage Site in 2002...
.
Line 2 (red) runs generally east to west from the transit hub Örs vezér Square on the city's east side, and provides a connection between Keleti railway terminal and Déli railway terminal through the city centre.
Line 3 (blue) runs northwest from the transit hub Kőbánya-Kispest in the city's southeast, along Üllői Avenue
Ülloi út
Üllői út is a major transport artery in Budapest, Hungary. Üllői út is the longest avenue in Budapest, it's 15.6 km long and absolutely straight....
to the city centre, and then north to the district of Újpest
Újpest
Újpest may refer to:*Újpest, a district of Budapest, Hungary.*Újpest FC, a football team based in Újpest....
.
Except for short stretches near the depots of each line, the system is mostly underground.
All lines converge at Deák Ferenc square
Deák Ferenc tér (Budapest Metro)
Deák Ferenc tér is the only transfer station for the M1, M2, and M3 lines of the Budapest Metro. It is located under the eponymous city square in central Budapest, the capital city of Hungary....
in the city centre, forming the system's only transfer station. This bottleneck is to be remedied by the opening of Line 4, which will cross Line 2 and Line 3 at different stations.
Line 4 (green) will run southwest to northeast from the transit hub of Budapest Kelenföld railway station in the city's most populous district of Újbuda
Újbuda
Újbuda is the 11th district of Budapest , Hungary. Currently it is the most populous district of Budapest with 137,426 inhabitants . Until the 1890s Újbuda's present territory was a field south to the historical town of Buda. The construction of a new residential area started in the 1900s, the...
across the inner city district of Józsefváros
Józsefváros
Józsefváros is the 8th district of Budapest, Hungary. It is the part of the city centre in the wider sense as one of the 18-19th century older suburbs, close to Belváros.-Location:...
to Keleti railway terminal.
The Metro forms a separate system from the Budapest HÉV commuter rail, though Line 2 of the Metro provides transfers to the termini of two of the four HÉV lines. Integration of the incompatible HÉV system into the Metro is a long-term goal, and forms the basis of the proposed Line 5.
History
The first metro lineLine 1 (Budapest Metro)
The Metro 1 is the oldest line of the Budapest Metro system.Known in Budapest simply as "the underground" , it is the second oldest underground railway in the world , and the first on the European mainland. It was built from 1894 to 1896...
was conceived as a means of carrying passengers from the city centre to the City Park
City Park (Budapest)
Városliget is a public park in Budapest, Hungary close to the city centre. It is located in District XIV of Budapest. Its main entrance is Heroes' Square , one of Hungary's World Heritage sites.-Name:The area was formerly called Ökör-dűlő, meaning "Oxmeadow"...
without the need for surface transport on Andrássy Avenue
Andrássy Avenue
Andrássy Avenue is an iconic boulevard in Budapest, Hungary, dating back to 1872. It links Erzsébet Square with the Városliget. Lined with spectacular Neo-renaissance mansions and townhouses featuring fine facades and interiors, it was recognised as a World Heritage Site in 2002...
. The Diet of Hungary
Diet of Hungary
The Diet of Hungary was a legislative institution in the medieval kingdom of Hungary from the 15th century, and in its successor states, Royal Hungary and the Habsburg kingdom of Hungary throughout the Early Modern period...
approved the metro project in 1870. Construction began in 1894 and was carried out by the German firm Siemens & Halske AG, employing 2,000 workers using state-of-the-art machinery. The line was built entirely from the surface using the cut-and-cover method. Completed on schedule, the metro was inaugurated on May 2, 1896 (the year of the thousandth anniversary of the arrival of the Magyars) by Emperor Franz Joseph
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
.
The original line followed a northeast-southwest route along Andrássy Avenue from Vörösmarty Square
Vörösmarty Square
Vörösmarty tér or Vörösmarty square is a small but popular square in the Budapest city centre at the northern end of Váci utca.At the centre of the square facing west is a large statue of poet Mihály Vörösmarty, on the pedestal of which people tend to congregate...
to the City Park, a distance of 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi). There were a total of eleven stations, with nine underground and two above ground; the original terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
at the Zoo has since been replaced. With trains running every two minutes, the line was capable of carrying up to 35,000 passengers per day. (Today it handles about 103,000 passengers on a workday.) One of the original cars has been preserved at the Seashore Trolley Museum
Seashore Trolley Museum
The Seashore Trolley Museum, located in Kennebunkport, Maine, United States, is the world's oldest and largest museum of mass transit vehicles....
.
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
holiday) in 1970. It follows an east-west route, connecting the major Keleti (Eastern)
Eastern Railway Station (Budapest)
Budapest Keleti pályaudvar , Hungarian for Budapest East railway station is the largest among the three main railway stations in Budapest...
and Déli (Southern)
Southern Railway Station (Budapest)
Budapest Déli pályaudvar or Budapest South railway station is the third largest railway station of Budapest, after Keleti pu and Nyugati pu. It can be found in the 1st district....
railway stations. It has a joint station with the original line at Deák Ferenc Square
Deák Ferenc square (Budapest)
The Deák Ferenc square , named for Ferenc Deák, is a major intersection and transport junction in Budapest. Károly körút, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, Király utca, Deák Ferenc utca, and Harmincad utca converge here. The three lines of the Budapest Metro each have a station under the square, creating the...
, which has since become a transfer point for the third line as well. As of 2010 Line 2 is the only line to cross the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and reach Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
, the western part of Budapest.
The first line underwent a thorough refurbishment between 1970 and 1973, which included replacement of its rolling stock and a switch from left-hand drive to right-hand drive for the sake of consistency. In 1973, both lines were extended—the first with one station and the second with four. The lines reached their current lengths of 4.4 kilometres (2.7 mi) and 10.3 kilometres (6.4 mi), respectively. The Budapest Transport Company
BKV
BKV is the unified public transport company of Budapest, established in 1968...
(BKV) took over operation of the metro that same year.
Planning for Line 3 began in 1963 and construction started in 1970. The first section, consisting of six stations, opened in 1976. It was extended to the south in 1980 with five additional stations, and to the north in 1981, 1984, and 1990, with nine additional stations. With a length of 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) and a total of 20 stations, it is the longest line in Budapest. Concurrently with the opening of Line 3, the metro adopted a colour-coding scheme for easier identification. The first line was given the colour yellow, the second line red, and the third, blue. Additionally, green is used to mark the suburban railways (HÉV
HÉV
Budapest HÉV is a system of four commuter rail and rapid transit lines in and around Budapest, Hungary. The HÉV lines were constructed as branch lines of the Hungarian State Railways...
) in and around Budapest.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Line 1 underwent major reconstruction. Of its 11 stations, eight are original and three were added during reconstruction. The original appearance of the old stations has been preserved, and each station feature displays of historical photographs and information. There is also a Millennium Underground Museum in the Deák Ferenc Square concourse where many other artifacts from the metro's early history can be seen.
Line 4 (under construction as of 2007) has a long history, dating back to 1972. In the planning phase, difficulties arose from the medicinal springs (for example, the Gellért Baths
Gellért Baths
Gellért Thermal Baths and Swimming Pool, also called Gellért fürdő or Gellért Baths, are a bath complex in Budapest, Hungary, built between 1912 and 1918 in the Art Nouveau style. They were damaged during World War II, but then rebuilt. References to healing waters in this location are found from...
) around its planned route. There was a long debate over whether its construction would be safe, what part should be funded by the government and the capital, whether it could be paid for from the Russian state debt towards Hungary, whether the route and length were appropriate, and whether a connector line (see M5 below) would be a better use of funds. If the line is finished by 2014 (which is the best case), its planning and construction will span 41 years, longer than any other Budapest metro line.
Line 2 reconstruction
Line 2 has undergone major reconstruction, with much of the track and eight stations already completed. Blaha Lujza tér and Kossuth Lajos térKossuth Lajos tér (Budapest Metro)
Kossuth Lajos tér is a station on the M2 line of the Budapest Metro. It is located south of Lajos Kossuth Square in Pest, immediately on the left bank of the Danube river....
were renovated in 2004; Batthyány tér
Batthyány tér (Budapest Metro)
Batthyány tér is a station on the M2 line of the Budapest Metro. It is located under Batthyány Square in Buda, immediately on the right bank of the Danube river. Next to the station, there is the southern terminus of the Szentendre HÉV suburban railway....
, Astoria
Astoria (Budapest Metro)
Astoria is a station of the M2 line of the Budapest Metro, under the eponymous square, Astoria....
, and Keleti pályaudvar
Keleti pályaudvar (Budapest Metro)
Keleti pályaudvar is an underground station of the M2 line of the Budapest Metro.The metro station is located underneath the main long-distance and international railway station on Baross Square in Pest's 8th district . The station is one of Budapest's major transport hubs...
in 2005; and Déli pályaudvar
Déli pályaudvar (Budapest Metro)
Déli pályaudvar is the western terminus of the M2 line of the Budapest Metro. It serves the Déli Railway Station and its vicinity....
, Moszkva tér
Széll Kálmán tér (Budapest Metro)
Széll Kálmán tér is a station on the M2 line of the Budapest Metro. It is located under Széll Kálmán Square in Buda. Currently it is the deepest station of the Budapest Metro. Near the station, there are several tram and bus terminus ....
(Name restored to Széll Kálman tér
Széll Kálmán tér (Budapest Metro)
Széll Kálmán tér is a station on the M2 line of the Budapest Metro. It is located under Széll Kálmán Square in Buda. Currently it is the deepest station of the Budapest Metro. Near the station, there are several tram and bus terminus ....
on 12 May 2011), and Deák Ferenc tér in 2006. These are currently the most modern stations in Budapest. Elevators will be installed at Kossuth Lajos tér, Blaha Lujza tér, Keleti pályaudvar, and Astoria, and new air-conditioned carriages will be ordered.
Recently, the Urban and Suburban Transit Association
Urban and Suburban Transit Association
The Urban and Suburban Transit Association is a Hungarian non-profit organization, aimed at developing city transport in Hungary.-Organizational structure:...
(Városi és Elővárosi Közlekedési Egyesület) presented a plan to unite Line 2 with the HÉV
HÉV
Budapest HÉV is a system of four commuter rail and rapid transit lines in and around Budapest, Hungary. The HÉV lines were constructed as branch lines of the Hungarian State Railways...
from Gödöllő. The city government did not totally support the plan, but it still may proceed after 2015.
Line 4
Line 4 will connect southwest Budapest (BudaBuda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
) to northeastern Budapest (Pest
Pest (city)
Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is divided from Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the Inner City, including the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and...
). The first section between Kelenföldi Railway Station and Eastern Railway Station
Eastern Railway Station (Budapest)
Budapest Keleti pályaudvar , Hungarian for Budapest East railway station is the largest among the three main railway stations in Budapest...
, with a length of 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi), is due to be completed earliest in late 2014, comprising ten stations. The construction of the second section (with four stations) between Eastern Railway Station and Bosnyák Square, with a length of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), is not started yet. Site preparation at Bartók Béla Street and Fehérvári Street took place between 2002 and 2004. Pedestrian underpasses, which will later become metro concourses, were built at Móricz Zsigmond körtér
Móricz Zsigmond körtér
Móricz Zsigmond körtér is a square in Budapest, Hungary.It is a center of south Buda and it is noted for the egg-looking heated stones erected in 2004....
and Bocskai út.
In 2005 construction work began at Baross tér, the square in front of the Eastern Railway Station
Eastern Railway Station (Budapest)
Budapest Keleti pályaudvar , Hungarian for Budapest East railway station is the largest among the three main railway stations in Budapest...
. A new station exit and underpass were constructed, connecting the existing Line 2 station to the surface in the area of the parking lot. The new exit is needed to meet the significant increase in traffic demand expected in the future (an additional 600,000 passengers per day are expected to use the new line). The new exit will also enable the currently operating exit to be closed during construction of the new station. Work was completed by December 2005.
- 27 March 2006 — The founding stone for this metro line was laid.
- 15 May 2006 — The building of Szent Gellért tér station began.
- 17 July 2006 — The building of Bocskai út station began.
- 21 March 2007 — The building of Népszínház utca station began.
- 3 April 2007 — The building of the tunnels began.
- 5 April 2007 — The building of Kálvin tér station began.
A schedule of the construction work is currently available in the Internet Archive.
Line 5
Line 5 is in the early planning stages. It will most likely run along the Danube (crossing it at Margaret IslandMargaret Island
Margaret Island is a long island, 500 metres wide, in the middle of the Danube in central Budapest, Hungary. It belongs administratively to the 13th district. The island is mostly covered by landscape parks, and is a popular recreational area. Its medieval ruins are reminders of its importance...
), connecting with suburban railways going north and south. There is currently no planned start date for operation.
- See also List of M5 metro stations
Line 3 extension
There are plans for the extension of Line 3 towards the north (Káposztásmegyer) and the southeast (Ferenc Liszt AirportBudapest Ferihegy International Airport
Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport , formerly known as Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, is the international airport serving the Hungarian capital city of Budapest, and the largest of the country's five international airports. The airport offers international connections primarily...
), perhaps also within the current decade. An extension to Ferenc Liszt airport has been made unlikely by the introduction of a train connection between the airport and the Western Railway Station
Western Railway Station (Budapest)
Budapest Nyugati pályaudvar is a railway station in the northern part of the Budapest City. It is one of the three main railway stations of Budapest and can be found in the 6th district.The station was planned by August de Serres and was built by the Eiffel Company...
.
General information
Currently, the only transfer point between the lines is Deák tér, however, forthcoming lines are to have other transfer stations. Line 4 will cross Line 2 and Line 3 at different stations.Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
, and must be retained until leaving the metro. At validation, the current date and time is printed on tickets along with station information. Tickets are checked manually by the pass controllers, who usually turn up at stations near the escalators, but they may inspect tickets anywhere within the metro system; tickets or passes must be handed over to them on request. Controllers wear a blue ribbon with golden inscription around their wrists, but they may hide it before the actual inspection. (An automated entrance system for the metro has been planned for a long time, as well as on all other public transport in Budapest, but as of 2007, the transport company has not published details.)
Platforms are designated by the terminus of that line; there are signs for these at the station entrances, usually at the escalators, and on the walls of the tunnels in both directions.
None of the stations of either lines 2 or 3 has yet been made handicapped-accessible, including the recently renovated stations. Line 4 will have stations accessible from the street level by elevators, but people in wheelchairs will not be able to use the underpasses when crossing the street. On Line 1 there are only three stations suitable for wheelchair users.
BKV
BKV is the unified public transport company of Budapest, established in 1968...
vehicles, and are available at the website of the transport company. These deal with the age and health state of travellers, size of luggage (some chemicals are prohibited), transportation conditions for dogs (ticket/pass, muzzle and lead are required), prohibition of smoking.