Budapest Metro

Metro Line 2 at Örs vezér tere terminus

Line 1 runs northeast from the city centre on the Pest side under Andrássy út to the Városliget, or City Park. Like Metro 3, it does not serve Buda. Line 1, the oldest of the metro lines operating in Budapest, has been in constant operation since 1896. In the 1980s and 1990s, the line underwent major reconstruction. Of its 11 stations currently served, eight are original and three were added during the reconstruction. The original appearance of the old stations has been preserved, and each station feature displays of historical photographs and information. As part of the reconstructiona Millennium Underground Museum in the old station at Deák Ferenc tér connected to the concourse. There are plans for the future extension of the line in both directions.[17]

Line 2 runs east–west from Déli pályaudvar in Buda's Krisztinaváros, through the city center, to Örs vezér tere in eastern Pest. It offers connections to Hungarian State Railways at Déli and Keleti pályaudvars, to metro lines M1 and M3 at Deák Ferenc tér, to M4 at Keleti pályaudvar, to suburban railway lines 8 and 9 at Örs vezér tere, and to suburban railway line 5 at Batthyány tér. Prior to the opening of M4, it was (for more than 45 years) the only metro line that served the Buda side of the city. Metro Line 2 underwent a major reconstruction in the second half of the 2000s, with all of the track replaced and stations revamped by 2010. The entire fleet of Metrovagonmash 81-717/81-714 cars operating on the line were replaced with Alstom Metropolis metro cars by 2012.[18] Planning of a direct connection of Metro Line 2 and the suburban railway lines with a shared new station at Örs vezér tere and the addition of a potential new underground station near Hungexpo Budapest Congress and Exhibition Center, offering another interchange point to mainline railways began in 2021.[19]

Blue Line 3 Göncz Árpád Városközpont

Line 3 runs in a north–south direction (more exactly, from north-northeast to southeast) on the Pest side of the river and connects several populous residential areas with the Inner City.[20] It has a transfer station with Line 1 and Line 2 at Deák Ferenc tér, and an interchange with Line 4 at Kálvin tér. It is the longest line in the Budapest Metro, its daily ridership is estimated at 610,000.[21] An automatic train drive system was introduced in 1990.[22] A complete renovation of the line started in 2017. The planned upgrades include renewing the stations, rebuilding the track, safety equipment, ventilation and tunnel insulation. Design works are entirely funded by the European Union under the New Széchenyi Plan. The project also includes the renovation of the rolling stock and a possible extension of the metro line to Káposztásmegyer.[23] As of May 2022, 12 of the 20 stations have been inaugurated.[24]

Móricz Zsigmond körtér station on Green Line 4 (opened in 2014)

Line 4 runs southwest–northeast from Kelenföldi pályaudvar in Buda's Kelenföld neighborhood to Keleti Railway Station in Józsefváros. With a length of 7.4 kilometres (4.6 mi), it connects to Hungarian State Railways at its termini, to the metro's Line 3 at Kálvin tér, and to Line 2 at Keleti. Line 4 was completed in March 2014 and comprises ten stations.[25]

The green lines show the existing H5, 6 and 7 lines; the red lines are the proposed connections under the city to form the Purple Line 5; and the blue lines are existing railway lines that could also be connected

The Purple Line 5 is a proposed north–south railway tunnel to connect the currently separated elements of the suburban rail network, namely the H5, H6 and H7 HÉV-lines, and optionally the Budapest-Esztergom and Budapest-Kunszentmiklós-Tass railway lines. Currently the project does not have mainstream political support, only included in long-term plans. The first phase (planned until 2030)[26] would be the extension and connection of the southern H6 and H7 lines to the Astoria metro station via the Kálvin tér, thus connecting these lines to the metro lines M2 M3 and M4. The second phase would create a connection to the metro line M1 as well at the Oktogon, the M3 at Lehel tér then cross the Danube to the Buda side to connect the H5 HÉV towards Szentendre.

The usual BKK tickets and passes can be used on all lines. Single tickets can be re-used when changing metro lines.[27]

There are plans for an automated fare collection system.[28] A contract for a system was signed in 2014,[29] but terminated in 2018 without completion.[30]