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The Millenium Underground of Budapest

The Millenium Underground of Budapest

At the time of its completion in 1885 Andrássy Avenue was considered a masterpiece of city planning and even public transport was prohibited to preserve its character.

This brought about the idea to build a railroad beneath it.The first underground line was conceived as a means of carrying passengers from the city centre to the City Park without the need for surface transport on Andrássy Avenue.The Diet of Hungary approved the metro project in 1870.

Construction began in 1894 and was carried out by the German firm Siemens & Halske AG, employing 2,000 workers using state-of-the-art machinery.

The line was built entirely from the surface using the cut-and-cover method. Completed on schedule, the iconic line was inaugurated on May 2, 1896 (the year of the thousand anniversary of the arrival of the Magyars) by Emperor Franz Joseph.

It is the oldest electrified underground railway system on the European continent and the second oldest electrically operated line in the world.

Franz Joseph showed the underground to the German Emperor William as a pride of Budapest when he visited the city.

After their ride by the Undreground they wrote their names with a golden pen into the memorial book of the underground.The fare on the Millenium Underground was 20 fillér when it was opened.The coins had to be inserted into slot machines.Fare dodging was not possible because the magnetic power of the slot machines threw the false coins back.Probably it did not function so well because the slot machine were removed after a week!

The Millenium Underground of Budapest
A carriage made in 1896 dubbed as the "Old Lady" has just arrived to Mexikói street station for a hertiage ride

Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire until 1918. It then used the left side for driving.Right-hand traffic was usual in most of European countries since the 1930.For international conformance reasons our government later decided about the change to the right side in 1941.It is a unique case in traffic history that the Millenium Underground kept to left until 1972.

In the same year the whole line of the Underground was recounstructed and it was lengthened as far as Mexikói street.

It became widely known by the name Millenium Underground after the opening of  the second metroline( red line) in 1970. Most hungarians call it by the colloquial language as „kisföldalatti” literally little underground or just sárga(yellow)line.

The Millenium Underground of Budapest
Kodály Körönd with one of the trademark yellow fence surrounding the exit. The current carriages in service are also painted yellow.

Two surface station was closed down near the Zoo and the Artesian bath ( Széchenyi bath).There are suggestions to lengthen the recent line to Vigadó tér (the tunnels still exist there from 1896 ) which can be good connection to the Tram 2 panoramic tramline along the Danube and also a good point to embark any of the cruises for sightseeing on the Danube.

The Millenium Underground of Budapest
Guests on a heritage ride from Mexikói street to Vörösmarty square in may 2016
The Millenium Underground of Budapest
The remnant of a footbridge in the City park (Városliget) which belonged to the surface station of the Zoo
Picture of Gabor Szabo

Gabor Szabo

Hello and welcome to Budapest Walking Tours! Thank you for visiting or planning to visit Budapest and Hungary! My name is Gábor and I would be honoured to introduce my beautiful capital to you!