The City Council of Budapest has approved a preparation agreement regarding the reconstruction of Metro Line 3, along with the conversion plans of the city park. The proposal passed with 29 votes in favor while 1 abstained during a Monday session of the council. The development agreement entails a 1,2 billion HUF (3.8 million EUR) budget, allocated to the preparatory and research work on the proposed reconstruction project, with 361 million HUF coming from this year’s budget.
According to the proposal, if the contracting parties cannot sign the paperwork by 8 June the Centre for Budapest Transport (Budapesti Közlekedési Központ, BKK) would lose the available 635 million HUF development fund provided by the European Union. The proposal states that the reconstruction cannot be postponed further and should be started immediately in the 2014-2020 budget cycle.
The agreement states that construction could begin as early as 2017, although transportation association For the Metro (Metróért Egyesület) warn that any delay could pose serious security issues. Work began on Metro Line 3 in 1970, with its 20 stops it is currently the longest and most busiest line in Budapest. The reconstruction of the rundown stations and the replacement of the old soviet metro cars has been an ongoing issue in the past several years as constant mechanical failures stand as stern reminders of the questionable state of the line.
Photo: Barna Rovács