Metro line no.1 in Budapest

Abstract

In the second half of the 19th century Budapest (Hungary) became a metropolis. Huge infrastructural investments formed the city into the present tourist-luring townscape. In 1896 the country celebrated the thousand year anniversary of the statehood and the mayor's office wanted to raise the glare of the feast with an up-to-date technical solution. Up to that time horse carts, horse tramways electric tramways, etc. were used for transportation. The new elegant avenue rimmed with palaces connected the center and the city park where a millennia world fair was organized. For the establishment of the fast and posh connection an idea was formed to push the tram line underground. In 1894 a tender was created for the realization of the first continental underground electric tramline. The construction was realized in 21 months by the local entrepreneur Robert Wünsch, the bogie carriages were produced by Schlick Forgery and Machine Factory, and the electric devices were made by Siemens und Halske Co. The steel and concrete structure stations were tiled by artistic tiles of the Zsolnay factory. The Budapest metro line No. 1 has been in operation since its inauguration, its 120 year anniversary will be held in 2016. The Underground Railway Museum (URM) with tree original wagons has been open to the public in a non-used tunnel part since 1975. The Budapest metro line No.1. became part of the World heritage in 2002, together with the avenue above it called “Andrássy street”. The Budapest metro is a candidate for becoming an IEEE milestone.