On 20 March 2023, the renovated Arany János Street and Nyugati Railway Stations of the Budapest metro line M3 were handed over, reports MTI.

Minister for Land Development Tibor Navracsics, Mayor Gergely Karácsony and Tibor Bolla, CEO of BKV, gave speeches at the ceremonial handover - at Arany János Street station.

The development realised with the reconstruction of metro line M3 is not only for the people of Budapest, it is not only for those living in the capital, emphasised the Minister for Land Development. Tibor Navracsics said that the subway renovation was realised with the cooperation of the Hungarian government, the capital and the European Union.

Passengers at the renovated Nyugati Railway Station of metro line M3 on the day it was handed over (Photo: MTI/Márton Mónus)

Approximately two-thirds of the cost of the renovation is EU funding and one-third is financed from domestic sources, the minister said. He said cooperation was the most important in connection with the investment, stressing that Budapest is one of the important centres of Central Europe from a cultural and infrastructural point of view. The EU funds were also well used, Tibor Navracsics noted. Budapest's public transport is not only used by people living in the capital, so this development belongs to everyone, emphasised Tibor Navracsics.

Mayor Gergely Karácsony called the completion of the project a welcome development for Budapest and the whole country. The Mayor thanked everyone who contributed to this. He pointed out that with the renovation that will be completed in May, all stations of the metro line M3 will be accessible, much safer and more attractive. Speaking about the further transport development plans of the capital, the Mayor mentioned the development of tram lines in general and tram lines connected to the metro, with a budget of 105 billion HUF. Gergely Karácsony also called the further development of the Nyugati Square area important.

Escalator at Nyugati Railway Station (Photo: MTI/Márton Mónus)

At the event, Tibor Bolla, CEO of BKV Zrt., called the opening of the Arany János Street and Nyugati Railway Station stops the most significant milestone of the metro renovation. The CEO pointed out that the metro line was renovated with the work of around 3,500 people.

The European Union is paying 172.7 billion HUF of the costs of the metro reconstruction, with 44.8 billion HUF co-financing from Hungary and 7.1 billion HUF from the Budapest City Council.

The renovation of metro line M3 is planned to be completed in May (Photo: BKK)

From 1:00 p.m. on Monday,  it will be possible to travel on the entire line, between Kőbánya-Kispest and Újpest Centre, but since the renovation is still ongoing at Nagyvárad Square and Lehel Square, trains will not stop at these stations. The area around the closed stations can be reached by replacement bus and other services. On weekends, the metro runs only between Újpest Centre and Göncz Árpád City Centre, and between the latter and Kőbánya-Kispest people can take the M3 replacement bus.

From Monday, passengers will be able to use the previously renovated and handed over Dózsa György Road station, which has now been made barrier-free.

After five and a half years of work, the reconstruction of metro line M3 is expected to be fully completed in May.

Source: MTI

Cover photo: Metro train at the renovated Arany János Street station of metro line M3 (Photo: MTI/Márton Mónus)