City Council OKs upgrade of M3 metro

Christian Keszthelyi

Budapest's City Council yesterday approved a proposal for a preliminary phase of reconstruction work on the capital's busy M3 metro line. The work on M3 will include upgrading the whole line and its extension towards the north. The proposal was backed by 29 of 30 local representatives yesterday.

Should the Budapest Transit Center (BKK) sign the design contract by July 8, the renovations can start this year. The project would be realized in the fiscal period of 2014-2020.

The upgrade is badly needed as the line has seen no upgrades in the last 35 years of operation and has a daily usage of approximately 540,000 passengers, more than the entire rail nework of Hungary. The wear on the line is beginning to show, and technical problems threaten the metro's operation and passenger safety.