The final trainset of a new fleet of 22 Alstom-built vehicles has begun service in Budapest, signalling the end of the line for a number of the network’s oldest serving members.
In 2011, Budapest ordered 110 Metropolis cars for the system’s line 2 to replace the existing fleet, which had been carrying passengers around the city for more than 40 years.
The contract, which was valued at around 220 million euro, includes another 12 five-car trainsets for line 4 and represents the city’s largest ever fleet procurement programme.
The old EV trains were built by Russian manufacturer Mityisinszkij Metrovagonmas and are estimated to have travelled 2 billion kms during their lifetime.
