Line 2 (Budapest Metro)
Line 2 (Budapest Metro) |
| Overview |
| Stations |
11 |
| Line number |
Line 2 ("Red metro") |
| Technical |
| Line length |
10.3 km |
| Track gauge |
1435 mm |
| Electrification |
825 V DC |
| Operating speed |
70 km/h |
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The Metro 2 (Officially: M2) is the second line of Budapest Metro. It connects the western Déli pályaudvar, and the eastern Örs vezér tere. Daily ridership: 451,627.
History
The first plans for the present-day two lines were made in 1942, and the Council of Ministers' decree enacted its building in 1950. Metro 2 was originally planned to connect two major railway stations, Keleti (Eastern) and Déli (Southern) pályaudvar. They wanted to complete it by 1955, but construction was ceased for financial and political reasons from 1954 till 1963. It was finally opened with seven stations on April 4 (a Communist holiday in Hungary) in 1970. A major reconstruction of the track and the stations was undertaken between 2004 and 2008, with new trains arriving in 2010.
It runs in an east-west direction, and as yet it is the only line in operation to cross the River Danube and reach Buda (the western part of Budapest). It has a joint station with metro lines 1 and 3 at Deák Ferenc Square, and a future transfer point for the fourth line is under construction at Keleti Pályaudvar station.
Gallery