Budapest’s long-discussed plan to extend Metro Line 3 could finally be moving towards construction, with the city now reviewing existing plans for a new section reaching Rákospalota-Újpest. But before work can begin, around 24 properties – most of them residential – must be acquired, while the project faces a tight timetable and an unusual challenge: the extension would initially have to be served by the line’s existing Russian-built trains.
M3 extension plans are back on the table
The Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) has begun reviewing the existing plans for extending Metro Line 3 from Újpest-Központ towards Rákospalota-Újpest. The review will assess how the roughly 1.9-kilometre extension could be built, how the project could be divided into phases, how long construction might take and what risks could stand in its way.
Metro Line 3 reached Újpest-Központ from the city centre in 1990. Despite earlier plans to continue the line towards Káposztásmegyer, the extension never materialised.
The project has now returned to the agenda as part of the government’s Baross Gábor Railway Development Plan. The first phase would extend the line as far as Rákospalota-Újpest railway station.
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Two new stations could transform northern Budapest connections
According to the existing plans, the new section would begin near Árpád út 119, at the end of the existing underground structure, and run for approximately 1.9 kilometres. Two new stations would be built: one near Rózsa Street and another at Rákospalota-Újpest railway station.
The latter could be particularly significant for commuters, as it would create connections with the Budapest–Vác–Szob and Budapest–Veresegyház–Vác railway lines. Passengers arriving from the northern suburbs could therefore transfer to the M3 at Újpest rather than travelling all the way to Nyugati railway station.
The extension is planned using a cut-and-cover construction method rather than conventional deep tunnelling. BKK has also extended all the relevant railway authority permits, which will remain valid until December 2028. The organisation is now preparing to order the tender documentation needed for the construction procurement process.
24 properties need to be acquired first
There is, however, a major obstacle before construction can get properly underway.
Around 24 properties along the planned route would have to be acquired. Most are residential buildings located on land that was designated for the future metro project decades ago.
The Budapest municipal asset management company will therefore have to begin purchasing the properties or launching compulsory acquisition procedures as soon as possible. A 2021 estimate put the cost of acquiring the properties at around HUF 2.8 billion, although the current figure could be considerably higher following changes in property prices.
The project will also require close cooperation between the capital, its companies and the municipalities of Budapest’s Districts IV and XV.
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The clock is already ticking
BKK has warned that the project could only be delivered under an extremely tight schedule. The amount of time available is limited compared with the scale and complexity of the investment, making cooperation between national and local authorities particularly important.
The permits expiring at the end of 2028 add another deadline to the equation. If sufficient progress is not made by then, further extensions or additional permitting work could be required. The construction itself could also be a substantial investment. An earlier analysis by MBH Bank estimated that, at current prices, the two-station extension could cost HUF 120–160 billion.
The project would not necessarily pay for itself through ticket revenue. Its wider benefits, however, could include shorter journeys, lower commuting costs, better access to employment, fewer road accidents and reduced environmental damage.
The analysis estimated that the extension would need to generate around HUF 8 billion in annual indirect social benefits to be considered economically worthwhile over a 30-year assessment period.
The new metro connection could also push up property values around the future stations. According to the analysis, homes within roughly 500–800 metres of Rákospalota-Újpest station could eventually be worth up to 10% more than they would be without the investment.
The Russian-built trains are here to stay
One of the project’s more unusual challenges concerns the trains themselves. BKK says the M3’s existing Metrowagonmash rolling stock will have to be treated as a given for at least the next 20 years. That means the planned extension to Rákospalota-Újpest would initially have to be operated using the existing fleet.
This would put greater pressure on BKV’s fleet management, although BKK believes the current trains could still be sufficient to operate the two-stop extension.
The situation is partly a consequence of the fact that an option for seven additional trains under BKV’s contract with the Russian manufacturer has expired. Metrowagonmash is also subject to sanctions because of Russia’s war against Ukraine, making the straightforward purchase of additional trains impossible at present. New rolling stock would become more important if the full extension to Káposztásmegyer eventually goes ahead.
Could Budapest finally get the extension it has been waiting for?
The M3 extension is not necessarily the most urgent rail transport investment Budapest could undertake. However, it has one major advantage over many other proposed projects: much of the groundwork has already been done.
The current review will determine whether the existing plans, permits, property arrangements and available trains provide a realistic basis for finally moving the project from paper to construction. After more than three decades of waiting since the M3 reached Újpest-Központ, the long-promised northern extension may finally be getting another chance.
