Budapest Metro

The Budapest Metro (Hungarian: Budapesti metró) is the rapid transit system in the Hungarian capital Budapest. Opened in 1896, it is the world's second oldest electrified underground railway after the City and South London Railway of 1890, now a part of London Underground, and the third oldest underground railway with multiple stations, after the originally steam-powered Metropolitan Railway, now a part of London Underground (1863), and the Mersey Railway, now part of Merseyrail in Liverpool (1886).

Budapest Metro
Top: Örs vezér tere, terminus of metro line M2
Bottom: Metro line M4, a driverless metro line
with real-time PIDS system at Kálvin tér,
transfer station to metro line M3
Overview
Native nameBudapesti metró
OwnerCapital City of Budapest
LocaleBudapest, Hungary
Transit typeRapid transit
Number of lines4
Number of stations48
Daily ridership1.27 million (2009)
Annual ridership382.6 million (2023)
WebsiteBKK Public Transport
Operation
Began operation2 May 1896 (1896-05-02)
Operator(s)Centre for Budapest Transport
Budapest Transport Ltd. (BKV)
Technical
System length39.4 km (24.5 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
(standard gauge)
Top speed80 km/h (50 mph)

Budapest's first line, Line 1, was completed in 1896. The M1 line became an IEEE Milestone due to the radically new innovations in its era: "Among the railway's innovative elements were bidirectional tram cars; electric lighting in the subway stations and tram cars; and an overhead wire structure instead of a third-rail system for power." In 2002, the M1 line was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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