On September 2, Vienna has opened the extension of the U1 underground line. The red line now operates between Leopoldau and Oberlaa.
The 4.6 km extension with five new stations (Troststraße, Altes Landgut, Alaudagasse, Neulaa and Oberlaa) make it Vienna’s longest underground line with a total length of 19.2 km, bringing in particular people in the Favoriten district closer to the city centre. Around EUR 600 million has been invested in extending the U1.
Around 50,000 inhabitants of Favoriten living in the immediate catchment area of the new stations will benefit from the extension of the U1. Travelling time from Oberlaa to Stephansplatz has been cut from nearly 30 minutes to just 15 minutes.
The U1 line extension follows directly on from the station at Reumannplatz. From here, it travels under Favoritenstraße to Altes Landgut and then on to Alaudagasse. Around Altes Landgut, the underground passes under the roundabout known as the Verteilerkreis and the Laaerberg tunnel (A23 motorway). The underground line then returns to ground level around the future station at Alaudagasse to continue its path to Oberlaa.
Tram line 67 has been re-routed accordingly, along with all other surface-level traffic. The station at Alaudagasse is a new key public transport hub, where the direct connection of numerous bus lines to the underground network will shorten travelling time to the city centre.
Preparatory work for the U1 line extension began back in autumn 2010. Tunnelling work began in spring 2012. In the course of the extension, preliminary work was also done to enable a possible branch line from Alaudagasse to Rothneusiedl. This means that – with corresponding urban development in this area – the U1 could alternatively travel to Rothneusiedl.
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