Bucharest underground network heads for ambitious expansion

The 35-year old Bucharest metro is being expanded. Five new lines are planned, adding to the existing four. The latest finalized metro expansion was in 2008, and before that there was one opened in 2000. One of the future five lines is under construction and for two others some of the financing has been secured. Business Review lays out the new metro lines the Romanian capital city should see in more than 10 years.

Corina Saceanu

The Bucharest metro network is undergoing expansion. New lines are in plan – the much awaited Drumul Taberei – Pantelimon line will connect these neighbourhoods to downtown. Securing financing for this new metro line – EUR 395 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB), which is 45 percent of the needed financing, was among these project’s achievements. The rest should be covered from other sources. Late last year, minister of transport representatives were hoping to finalize tendering by this year’s spring.

The Victoriei – Otopeni financing, EUR 340 million, came from the Japanese Government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The contract was signed at the beginning of this year.

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Other lines are in plan as well, but no information on their future track or financing needs has been released. The planned lines and the expansion with suburban lines will more the double the existing size of the Bucharest metro, which now runs over 67 km of double track.

The future suburban lines should help create a true metropolitan area and hopefully lead to the creation of strong suburban areas, also relieving the traffic in Bucharest. The side effect of new metro stations will be the increase in land and housing prices in the new areas.