3 and a half year chaos in Budapest, but Metro 3 may be ready for the municipal elections

The capital would like everything to remain the same after the transfer of the agglomeration lines: the passes should not cost more and the timetable should remain as well. The negotiations are in progress, but not too fast, nol.hu reported.

Budapest Mayor István Tarlós said the negotiations on the agglomeration lines – which will be transferred to the state – are moving in the right direction with Development Minister Miklós Seszták. Tarlós added that he felt some artificial deceleration in the case. Despite of this, he is confident that, at least, the basic agreement can be signed for the next meeting of the Budapest Assembly on February 17. The mayor wants to achieve that neither the local governments, nor the Budapest residents have to pay more after the transfer; and that the buses and suburban trains stop at all the stops.

If they cannot agree on this, then István Tarlós will present his ideas. For example coaches and MÁV (Hungarian State Railways) should pay a fee, or the people from the countryside should pay a separate congestion charge. The Mayor also would like to encash the 9 billion-forint loss coming from the free travel of people over 65.

According to the official schedule, the renewed Metro 3 line would be handed over on September 30, 2019 (ie just before the municipal elections). The major assumes that the EU approves the application for aid, or, in the other case, the state should help, because the restoration cannot be postponed any longer. If the restoration of the metro line cannot be completed in this cycle it would have to be stopped before 2019.