| Bucharest Metro | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Info | |
| Locale | Bucharest, Romania |
| Transit type | Rapid transit |
| Number of lines | 4 |
| Number of stations | 49 (+3 under construction)[1] |
| Daily ridership | 800,000[2] |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | November 1979 |
| Operator(s) | Metrorex |
| Technical | |
| System length | 66.95 km (41.6 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in) (standard gauge) |
| Transport in Romania |
| Companies |
The Bucharest Metro (Metroul Bucureşti in Romanian) is an underground urban railway network that serves the capital of Romania, Bucharest. The network is run by Metrorex. It is one of the most accessed systems of the Bucharest public transport network with an average ridership of 800,000 passengers per day.[3] In total, the network is 67 km long and has 49 stations.
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The earliest plans for a Bucharest Metro were drafted in the late 1930s, alongside the general plans for urban modernization of the city.[citation needed] In 1938, the local authorities assigned the task of planning and constructing the subway system to S.A. Metropolitanul, with work scheduled to start in March 1941.[citation needed] The outbreak of World War II, followed by periods of political tensions culminating with the installation of communism, put an end to the plans.
By 1970, the public transport system (ITB) was no longer adequate due to the fast pace of urban development, although the system was the fourth-largest in Europe. A commission was set up, and its conclusion pointed to the necessity of an underground transit system that would become the Bucharest Metro.
The network was not built in the same style as other Eastern European systems. Firstly, the design of the stations on the initial lines was simple, clean cut modern designs, without excessive additions such as mosaics, awkward lighting sources or excessive decoration. The main function of the stations was speed of transit and modernity. Secondly, the trainsets themselves were all constructed in Romania and did not follow the Eastern European style of construction. Each station usually followed a colour theme (generally white - in Unirii 2, Universitate, Victoriei 1, Politehnica, Lujerului; but also light blue - in Obor and Gara de Nord; orange - in Tineretului), and an open plan. No station was made to look exactly like any other. Despite this, many stations are rather dark, due to the policies of energy economy in the late 1980s; later modernisations doing little to fix this problem. Bucharest being one of the largest cities in the region, it has quite a large network (larger than Prague, Amsterdam or Budapest). When the planned new line-extensions will be finished, it will increase the system length to more than 100 km, with about 80 stations.
The first line, M1, opened on November 16, 1979, running from Timpuri Noi to Semănătoarea (now Petrache Poenaru). It was 6.2 km long with 6 stations. Following this, more lines were opened:
Large stations which connect with other lines (such as Victoriei) have two terminals, and each terminal goes by a different name (Victoriei 1 and Victoriei 2). On the official network map, they are shown as two stations with a connection in between, even though, in practice (and in trip planners), they are really only one station with platforms at different levels. There is one exception: Gara de Nord 1 and Gara de Nord 2 are separate stations (although linked through a subterranean passage, the traveller is required to exit the station proper and pay for a new fare at the other station, thus leaving the system), passengers being required to change trains at Basarab.
Generally, the underground stations feature large interiors. The largest one, Piata Unirii, is cathedral-like, with vast interior spaces, hosting retail outlets and fast-food restaurants and has an intricate network of underground corridors and passage ways.
Metrorex is the Romanian company which runs the Bucharest Metro. It is fully owned by the Romanian Government through the Ministry of Transportation. There were plans to merge the underground and overground transportation systems into one authority subordinated to the City of Bucharest, however these plans did not come to fruition.
As of 2010, the entire network runs underground, except for a short stretch between Dimitrie Leonida and Berceni stations on the southern end of M2 line. The network is served by four depots, 2 being located above ground (IMGB and Industriilor) and two underground (Ciurel and Pantelimon) and by additional smaller works at Gara de Nord and Eroilor stations.
There are two connections between the Metro network and the Romanian Railways network, one at IMGB (connecting to the Bucharest Belt Ring), the other at Ciurel (connecting via an underground passage to the Cotroceni-Militari industrial railway). The latter connection however is unused and mothballed. The metro network and the national rail network share the same gauge (1,435 mm) and loading gauge but not the same electrification system (the metro uses 750 V DC whereas the Romanian Railways use 25,000 V 50 Hz AC) making it possible for new metro cars to be transported cross country as unpowered railway cars.
The network is powered by a bottom-contact third rail system except in works, depots and some tunnels where a catenary system is employed. There are 4 metro lines in operations, 1 more being auctioned off and another 2 in the planning phase:
In operation:
Planned:
Two more stations are planned and may be constructed on existing lines, both on M1. However, given the complexity of work required, and the limited benefits these stations would have it is unlikely that construction will begin in the near future:
See also List of Bucharest metro stations
The Bucharest Metro uses two types of trainsets:
The Astra trains used on the system are made up of various trainsets (rame) connected together. Each trainset is made up of two permanently-connected train-cars (B'B'-B'B' formation) that can only be run together. On lines M1 and M3, three trainsets (totalling six cars) are connected together, with a length of up to 120 metres, while in line M4, two trainsets run together (totalling four cars). M2 only uses Bombardier Trains. The ASTRA Arad rolling stock was built between 1976 and 1992, and is approaching the end of its service life, so it is currently being either refurbished or phased out.
The Bombardier trains are made up of six permanently connected cars, forming an open corridor for the entire length of the train (2'2'+Bo'Bo'+Bo'Bo'+Bo'Bo'+Bo'Bo'+2'2' formation).
The subway livery for Bucharest is either white with two yellow or red horizontal stripes below the window for ASTRA trains, or stainless steel with black and white for the Bombardier trains. All trains run on 750 V DC a third rail, or an overhead wire in maintenance areas where a third rail would not be safe. Maximum speed on the system is 80 km/h (50 mph), although plans are to increase it to 100 km/h (60 mph) on M5, a new line currently in planning stage.
The signaling system used is similar to the PZB version used by the Căile Ferate Române (Romanian Railways), with the inductor placed on the inside of the rails rather than the outside. The color light signals have the following meaning[4]:
The minimum distance between two trains is 90 seconds. On the M2, the signaling system is now replaced by the ATP-System. The signals between the stations remain completely dark, while the exit signals of the station are showing a red light and the letters ATP. In the next years, this system shall replace the classic signaling system also on the other lines.
Although the Bucharest Metro is, on the whole, an efficient transportation system, there are several common criticisms of the network. One of these is the relatively poor signage and the lack of network maps on the system. Most stations do not have maps that cover the entire network, instead having only panels showing the names of stations on the current line or, in some cases, only showing a selected number of stations from the respective line. Additionally, many stations have poor signage showing correspondence passages and exits. For this reason, it is possible to get lost on the system or take the train in the opposite direction. This problem is currently being addressed, with a new system of information booths and network maps being introduced in various stations, starting with Dristor, Piaţa Unirii, Eroilor and Piaţa Victoriei.
Other issues are low coverage (sizeable areas of the city don't have any subway access at all and the distance between stations is very large) and at times large intervals between trains.
The following extensions are in the process of being built:
These extensions will raise the network size to 55 stations with 70 km length, making it rather extensive.
Metrorex is also planning the following new lines and routes:
Public transport in Bucharest is heavily subsidized, and the subsidies will increase, as the City Council wants to reduce traffic jams, pollution and parking problems and promote public transport. Like the RATB, the metro can get crowded during morning and afternoon rush hours. The network uses a dual system, employing both magnetic stripe cards, that are not valid for use on trams, buses or trolleys and a newer system with RFID contactless cards that are also valid on the RATB ground network.
From July 2006, the public transport in Bucharest was to be coordinated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority - however, this was postponed indefinitely. The ticketing systems for ground and subway transportation are currently being unified, with a new RFID card system being deployed across the network, with the old cards slated to be discontinued.
The newer RFID card system is managed by RATB and RFID cards can only be obtained from RATB kiosks. The system is called Card ACTIV. RFID cards are given away free of charge, but only if one agrees to have one's personal data (name and personal numeric code) imprinted on the card. Along with the personal data, as one uses the transport system, cost and usage data is collected in a centralised database. RATB claims this data is used only for improving the transport system. Only the person with the name imprinted on the card may use that card if used in combination with a monthly pass. If the card is lost, the lost card can be canceled and the traveller, for a small fee, can obtain a new card with the remaining credit on it. Anonymous RFID cards can also be obtained for a small fee and they can be used by multiple travelers.
One must purchase a pass or credit to actually use the Card ACTIV on the underground or ground network. Also, these newer cards currently support for the metro network only monthly passes and a form of payment by trip, where travelers can buy credit (but only at RATB kiosks). The full cost of a trip - 1.25 RON (€ 0.29) is then deducted from the card whenever entering the metro network, regardless of the number of times a traveller enters the metro network in a given time interval. Because of this limitation, the 10 trip older-style metro card (see below) remains the most cost-effective solution for the casual traveler.
Older style metro cards can be purchased at any metro station, except discounted passes, which can only be purchased at a limited number of stations. Prices (as of April 2009)[9]:
Older-style metro cards are not linked with personal data or usage data in a central database and thus they guarantee anonymity of the travel. Because of that, however, if a metro card is lost or damaged, the traveller cannot be reimbursed for the unused trips.
Trains generally run from 5 AM to 11 PM except on Fridays and Saturdays, when the last trains leave at 12 AM from the terminus stations. The last trains on M1, M2 and M3 wait for the transfer of the passengers between lines to complete, before leaving Piata Unirii station [10]. At rush hour, trains run at 6-7 minute intervals on lines 1, 3 and 4, and at 3-5 minute intervals on line 2. During the rest of the day, they run at 8 minute intervals on lines 1 and 3, 9 minute intervals on line 2 and 10 minute intervals on line 4[11].
| Lines of the Bucharest Metro | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in service: | 1 | M1 | 2 | M2 | 3 | M3 | 4 | M4 | |||||
| planned: | 5 | M5 | 6 | M6 | 7 | M7 | |||||||
   | UrbanRail Europe/Bucharest - UrbanRail.Net > Europe > Romania > BUCHAREST Metro |
| | "Un miliard de euro pentru metroul Gara de Nord-Otopeni" - Un miliard de euro pentru metroul Gara de Nord-Otopeni | Ziarul Financiar |
| | iMetro Bucharest - -- My CGI Server -- |
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