Budapest, Monday, 20 March, 2023 – The reconstruction of the M3 metro line is not only for the people of Budapest, not only for the people living in the capital, the Minister for Land Development stressed at the inauguration of the renovated Arany János utca metro station in Budapest on Monday.
Tibor Navracsics said that the metro reconstruction was carried out in cooperation between the Hungarian government, the Municipality of Budapest and the European Union. 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 the most important aspect of the project was cooperation, stressing that Budapest is an important centre of Central Europe in terms of culture and infrastructure. The EU funds were also well used, Tibor Navracsics said.
Public transport in Budapest is used not only by people living in the capital, so this development is for everyone, he stressed out.
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 the project.
He stressed that the reconstruction, which will be completed in May, will make all the stations of metro line M3 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 forints. Gergely Karácsony also called the further development of the Nyugati tér area important.
At the event, Tibor Bolla, CEO of BKV Zrt., called the opening of the Arany János utca and Nyugati pályaudvar station stops the most important milestone of the metro renovation. The CEO pointed out that the metro line was renewed with the work of around 3,500 people.
According to the press material distributed at the inauguration, the European Union is paying HUF 172.7 billion of the costs of the metro reconstruction, with HUF 44.8 billion co-financing from Hungary and HUF 7.1 billion from the Municipality of Budapest.
From 13:00 on Monday, it will be possible to travel on the entire line, between Kőbánya-Kispest and Újpest-központ, but since the renovation is still ongoing at Nagyvárad tér and Lehel tér, trains will not stop at these stations. The area around the closed stations can be reached by replacement buses and other services. On weekends, the metro runs only between Újpest-központ and Göncz Árpád városközpont, and between the latter and Kőbánya-Kispest people can take the M3 replacement bus.
From Monday, passengers will also be able to use the previously reconstructed and now reopened Dózsa György út 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, until then BKV asks for the patience of traveling public.
(MTI)
Click HERE to view a photo gallery of the event.
Photos by Mihály Nagy/magyarepitok.hu
