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Bucharest Metro Line M2

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Line M2
M2 trains at Piața Victoriei station
Overview
StatusOperational
Termini
Stations15
Service
TypeRapid transit
SystemBucharest Metro
Operator(s)Metrorex S.A.
Depot(s)IMGB
Rolling stockBM3 (CAF), Bombardier Movia 346 (2-3)
Ridership69530000 (2019)[1]
History
Opened24 January 1986 (1986-01-24)
Technical
Line length20.28 km (12.60 mi)
Track gauge1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)
Electrification750 V DC third rail
Route map

Legend
proposed northern extension
 Pipera
Aurel Vlaicu
Aviatorilor
Piața Victoriei
M1
 Piața Romană
Universitate
Piața Unirii
M1M3
 Tineretului
Eroii Revoluției
Constantin Brâncoveanu
Piața Sudului
Apărătorii Patriei
Dimitrie Leonida
Berceni
Tudor Arghezi
proposed southern extension
This diagram:

M2 (20.28 km (12.6 mi)) is one of the five lines of metro of the Bucharest Metro.[2][3] The M2 Line runs from Pipera to Tudor Arghezi, thus linking the north to the south of the city. The line is the busiest on the system, passing through a multitude of neighbourhoods, and also the only line to serve the centre of the city.

History

The line was built during the 1980s when the industrial development in Romania was in full swing. A north-south metro line was crucial, seeing as other methods of public transport were very crowded and cars were very rare. As such the construction of this line was prioritised over others such as the M4, which was only completed recently. The building of the M2 line led to the removal in 1987 of the trolleybus lines linking Berceni to Băneasa; those lines, put in place in 1962, were made obsolete by the opening of the metro, according to the city planners at the time.

The M2 line was opened in two steps:[4]

  1. Berceni – Piața Unirii on 24 January 1986;
  2. Piața Unirii – Pipera on 25 October 1987.

A unique station on the Bucharest Metro is Piața Romană, which was shelved from the initial plan. It was built after the opening of the line in 1987, and this can be noticed easily; the platforms are very narrow and the pillars are massive. The station opened on 28 November 1988.[5]

As it stands now, the line is currently over capacity due to the massive amount of commuters using the line, and the gap left due to the removal of trolleybus lines. Additionally, the line's infrastructure has reached the end of its lifespan, and is prone to various incidents. Metrorex announced on 30 May 2019 that the line will undergo renovations over a 48-month period, although a beginning date on the works has yet to be announced.

Map


Extensions

The Tudor Arghezi metro station is the last extension of M2 as well as the newest station of the Bucharest Metro

An at-grade extension toward the Bucharest South Ring Road, with a length of 1.6 km (1.0 mi) and one station, was approved in January 2020,[6][7] and inaugurated on 15 November 2023.[8] The name of the new station is Tudor Arghezi (after the writer Tudor Arghezi). The project also includes a park and ride facility with 600 parking sports.[9]

The Berceni metro station and the Tudor Arghezi metro station are the only stations of the Bucharest Metro which are aboveground, with the short stretch between Dimitrie Leonida and Tudor Arghezi stations being the only portion of the Bucharest Metro that does not run underground.

Rolling stock

A CAF train on the left alongside two Movia trains on the right.

The M2 uses new, CAF trains. The CAF trains were bought in 2014 so that the Movia trains could run on the M1 and M3, replacing the old Astra IVA trains that were moved to the new line of M4.[10][11]

Name changes

Station Previous name(s) Years
Eroii Revoluției Pieptănari 1986–1989
Dimitrie Leonida IMGB 1987–2009
Berceni Depoul IMGB 1987–2009

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to M2 Line (Bucharest Metro).
  1. ^ "Activity Report 2019" (pdf). Metrorex S.A. p. 38. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  2. ^ "Activity Report 2018" (pdf). Metrorex S.A. p. 6. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  3. ^ "Bucharest". www.urbanrail.net.
  4. ^ "Metrorex history". Metrorex S.A. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  5. ^ Popa, Laura (17 December 2020). ""De ce nu e stație la Piața Romană?" Istoria metroului bucureștean spusă de unul dintre arhitecții care l-au proiectat" ["Why isn't there a station at Piața Romană?" The history of the Bucharest metro told by one of the architects who designed it]. PressOne (in Romanian). Press One Media SRL. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  6. ^ Andone, Anemona (27 April 2020). "Stație nouă de metrou în Berceni: Primăria Sectorului 4 a atribuit contractul asocierii Somet - TIAB - UTI - Construcții Erbașu" [New metro station in Berceni: the City Hall of Sector 4 awarded the contract to the association Somet - TIAB - UTI - Construcții Erbașu]. www.economica.net (in Romanian).
  7. ^ Olteanu, Anca (17 January 2021). "Incep lucrarile la noua statie de metrou "Tudor Arghezi". Circulatia rutiera va fi restrictionata in zona" [Work begins on the new "Tudor Arghezi" metro station. Road traffic will be restricted in the area]. ziare.com (in Romanian). iMedia Plus Group. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  8. ^ "A fost deschisă staţia de metrou 'Tudor Arghezi'" [Tudor Arghezi station opened]. agerpres.ro (in Romanian). 15 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Magistrala 2 de metrou: Stația Tudor Arghezi va fi pusă în funcțiune în cel mult două luni - șefa Metrorex". Economica.net (in Romanian). 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  10. ^ "Activity Report 2018" (pdf). Metrorex S.A. p. 23. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  11. ^ "CAF metro trains enter service in Bucureşti". Metro Report International. DVV Media International Ltd. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
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