Austrian Minister of Transport, Norbert Hofer, Vienna Deputy Mayor, Maria Vassilakou, Wiener Linien manager, Günter Steinbauer, officially launched the construction works of the first section of the new U5 line and the extension of U2. The ceremony was held on October 8, at the future Matzleinsdorfer Platz station on U2 line, which will offer the possibility to change from the suburban railway line to the underground, in addition to the connections at Meidling Railway Station and the Main Railway Station.
“The intersection of U2 and U5 reinforces the backbone of the Vienna metro network. Vienna needs this metro connection, as it will offer many transport possibilities throughout the city,” the Minister said.
Under the project, 11 new stations and 9 km of new underground tracks will be built, of which 6 km for the U2 and 3 km for the U5. The value of the first phase of the project is EUR 1 billion.
The extension of the U2 to Matzleinsdorfer Platz will be completed in 2026 and the works on the first fully automatic line – U5, will be completed in 2024. The U2/U5 intersection will close a major gap in the inner-city underground network.
U2 will be extended from Rathaus station (Vienna City Hall) and construction works will start for the first section of the new U5 to Frankhplatz/Altes AKH. Within the project, Rathaus station (U5 / U2), Neubaugasse (U3 / U2) and Pilgramgasse (U4 / U2) will become transport hubs. Neubaugasse station is expected to become the second busiest underground hub in the Vienna network, nearly reaching the passenger numbers of the central station underneath St. Stephen’s square (Stephansplatz station). Matzleinsdorfer Platz station is situated between Vienna Central Station (Hauptbahnhof Wien) and the Meidling rail station. The new station is designed to become a third major transfer hub between the local rapid transit network and the Vienna underground, considerably improving transport services for commuters in particular.
In the same time, Vienna carries out the EUR 335 million modernisation works on U4 line. Work began in spring 2014 and will be completed in 2024.
Last year, Vienna has opened the extension of the U1 underground line between Leopoldau and Oberlaa. The 4.6 km extension with five new stations bring the metro line to a total length of 19.2 km, being Vienna’s longest underground line. Around EUR 600 million has been invested in extending the U1.
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