On weekdays, metro line 3 will run again on the entire line, between Kőbánya-Kispest and Újpest Centre, from the afternoon of Monday, 20 March. Nagyvárad Square and Lehel Square are still under renovation, therefore the trains will not stop at these stations, the area around the closed stations can be reached by replacement bus and other routes, the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) announced on its website.

As they said: on weekdays, the metro runs on the entire line and people do not even have to take a replacement bus in the evening. On weekends, trains run only between Újpest Centre and Göncz Árpád City Centre, people can travel between Göncz Árpád City Centre and Kőbánya-Kispest with the M3 replacement bus.

From 20 March, metro line 3 will be running all day on weekdays, people do not even have to take a replacement bus in the evening (Photo: BKK)

According to BKK, Nagyvárad Square and its area can be reached with the M30 station replacement bus from Népliget, from Keleti Railway Station and the inner city with trams 23 (formerly 2M) and 24, from the Semmelweis Clinics by a short walk or with MOL Bubi. Lehel Square and its surroundings can be reached from Nyugati Railway Station with the M14 station replacement bus, and from the Göncz Árpád City Centre with the extended route buses 34 and 106.

On weekends, Lehel Square and Nagyvárad Square are also accessible by the M3 replacement buses running between the Göncz Árpád City Centre and Kőbánya-Kispest, therefore the M14 and M30 station replacement buses do not run then, but the 34 and 106 buses run to Lehel Square instead of the Göncz Árpád City Centre as on weekdays.

The renovated Ferenciek Square station was handed over in January (Photo: MTI/Zoltán Balogh)

Adapting to the change in the traffic schedule of the M3 metro line, the surface transport connected to the metro will also change. BKK held a social consultation on the subject, the results of which can be found on the company's website. The numbering and route of several routes will also change in South Pest, North Pest, Angyalföld, Óbuda and the area within the Hungária Ring Road.

The renovation of the M3 subway began in the fall of 2017. During the five-and-a-half-year reconstruction, the metro line's infrastructure was completely renewed: among other things, new tracks and detours were installed, the safety devices were replaced, and the tunnels were insulated.

It is also reported that thanks to the renovation, all stations and stops have received a new exterior and interior, and great emphasis has also been placed on accessibility. As part of this, regular and inclined-track elevators were installed so that people with limited mobility can also use the metro, and tactile signals help the movement of people with limited vision.

All metro stations and stops received a new exterior and interior during the renovation (Photo: MTI/Zoltán Balogh)

The renovation of metro line M3, which is the country's busiest railway line, is expected to be completed in two months with the opening of the Nagyvárad Square and Lehel Square stations. From May, the trains run on the entire line every day, and passengers can use all the stations. After the completion of the reconstruction, Budapest residents and visitors to the capital will receive an almost brand-new metro line.

Source: Budapest Transport Centre (BKK)

Cover photo: From 20 March, trains will run again on the entire M3 line every weekday (Photo: BKK)