Will Budapest’s busiest metro line get air conditioning? Here’s the answer
Budapest’s public transport company BKV is still negotiating with the manufacturers submitting offers for air conditioners on Metro line M3 line carriages in a public procurement procedure, but no agreement has been reached. No substantial progress has been made with the Russian manufacturer of the fittings either.
According to the Association for Metro, not only is there no cooling on carriages on Metro line M3, but the trains are actually heated because the electricity generated by the brakes is no longer fed back into the grid. One passenger has already measured 42 degrees Celsius in one of the trains on Metro line M3, Index reports.
Photo: BKK
The former mayor of Budapest, István Tarlós, has already said that the estimated HUF 6 billion (EUR 15.3 million) for the installation of the air conditioners will be paid from penalty payment from the Russian train manufacturer Metrowagonmash. He predicted that the installation would start in 2021, while the current mayor, Gergely Karácsony, said after his first election that the installation was not a question of money.
The lawsuit against Metrowagonmash is still in the first instance in the Budapest court, there are still exchanges of documents between the parties, and BKV has only revealed that their claim is roughly EUR 100 million and HUF 243 million (EUR 620,000), plus interest. There is no information on what the opposing party has recognised as a legitimate claim, nor on where the funding for the increasingly urgent installation of air conditioning would come from.
Several problems with the Russian metro carriages
Photo: FB/Budapest Városháza
The public procurement procedure for air conditioning the cars is still in the negotiation stage, with BKV waiting for the final offers from two bidders. Their next steps will depend on the outcome of these negotiations.
The 10-year warranty still covers repairs due to corrosion of the body and chassis. However, the durability of the wagon structure is crucial since the weight of the air conditioners is limited, which will influence the bids from the air conditioner manufacturers. Another concern is that the Russian manufacturer has not yet commented on how retrofitting air conditioning will affect the warranty.
It is certain that the trains delivered by the Russians to Budapest would not have met the standards required in an open European tender, Index states. This is proven by not only the delayed delivery but also by the 18 different serial defects for which BKV has sued, including the critical issue with the floor plates.
The need to maintain the fleet on the Metro line M3 only complicates the situation amidst trade prohibitions with Russia due to war sanctions. Although BKV has been exempted from the 11th package of sanctions for purchasing spare parts for metro trains, neither the capital’s transport company nor the Ministry of Construction and Transport has explained how they can pay for the parts given that Russian financial institutions are cut off from the SWIFT global interbank payment system.
Index also reports that in professional forums, several people have noted that M3 trains often struggle to stop accurately at the platform. Many observed that the trains frequently stop initially, then restart, move forward a few meters, stop again, and only then open their doors.
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8 Comments
The story of these metro carriages is a never ending saga. Even after the fitment of AC they’ll be considerably more antiquated and less comfortable than those that service the other two deep level lines in Budapest, nor will they have the same life expectancy of a new carriage. My inclination is that the refurbishment was a failed venture and these should be replaced in the coming years with a tender for a fleet of new trains, perhaps of the same model that run on M2 and M4 to ensure interoperability, the sunk costs of this refurbishment should be written off and lessons learned.
The Orban – Fidesz Government – REMEMBER – from the initial purchase of these RUSSIAN “Sauna” carriages on wheels, all the on-going expenditure, paid out of our TAXES – never NEARING them – to be further modified to suit the 12 months of the year climatic conditions of Budapest, to provide travel comfort on a PUBLIC transportation service to Budapest, Hungary.
The COST of the MAJOR tunnelling RESTORATION work undertaken on the M3 line – it’s CLOSURE, it’s DISRUPTED operation, the MASSIVE loss of income this had, to the Government and respective Districts – bottom lines.
The initial DECISION – blame for what has factually occurred over the time of 15 years, the Orban – Fidesz Government have been the Government of Hungary – these carriages – there decision, muchly pointed back at Victor Mihaly, Orban – the purchase off – operation of, with all there mechanical & operational FAILINGS – remembering, they being SECOND Hand – when Orban, his Fidesz Government decided they would be the M3 carriage rolling stock BLANE comes back to – they can’t ESCAPE it – the Orban – Fidesz Government – there Financial – decision making – Stuff Up.
Londonsteve, validness in part of his commentary, but LONG term – like the LONG Term – future of Hungary, under the Orban – Fidesz Government, the overall state condition of the Hungarian economy – carriage replacement, new carriage designs with 21st century technology – that the RIDERSHIP – passengers receive comforts of travel – will not HAPPEN in Budapest, Hungary.
There are NUMBERS of FACTORS why the M3 won’t be up-graded – not just that the GOVERNMENT are BROKE have no money and can not AFFORD investment – to up-grade the M3 carriage stock.
It’s the PRINCIPAL reason – but as THEY are – remember ALL the PROPAGANDA over years – the PROMISES they – the Orban – Fidesz Government – have MADE – in respect to our METRO lines.
When’s the M5 and the “above” surface lines – H5 & H7 – the PROMISES of there building and up-grading, the rolling stock/carriages of the H lines nearing 60 years old.
REMEMBER – the promises Budapestians and Hungarians – they ain’t HAPPENING.
PROMISES – the history of the Orban – Fidesz Government – the propaganda – what “Bulls” do in a paddock – it ain’t GOING to HAPPEN.
PRIORITIZATION – there decision making failings – that just display an ABOMINAL record of the WASTE of Tax Payers money, providing the NEEDS of tax payers, which PUBLIC Transport Services fall under – the FAILINGS of the Orban – Fidesz Government – the M3 and H5 / H7 – possible a new M5 and “other” promises of up-grade into Public Transport Services – not HAPPENING.
The people of Budapest thought they had escaped decades of Russian oppression only to find themselves forced to endure 40C torture sessions in mobile Russian designed suffocation boxes so that Fidesz businessmen could pocket fortunes off inflated deals.
https://english.atlatszo.hu/2016/03/21/russian-vehicle-supplier-gets-a-helping-hand-from-hungarian-lobbyists-in-metro-refurb-deal/
Why did the Orban government go with the Russians in the first place? Now we have a metro of Ladas, Lada bills . . . .
I second Steve’s comment.
This is truly ludicrous, and his comment is just good common sense
Interestingly – the same old /// was running in Warsaw, and those rigs DID have AC (much to my surprise at the time).
As long as the “right kind” of people win the tenders (Politician friends and toadies, NER Knights) – who cares?
The one DANGEROUS – thought process of Michael Stiner AGAIN.
Steiner, the man of “many a city” – 41 thus far and counting – his “un-stirred” loyalty to the Fidesz Political Party, his Membership, his inflexibility narrow mindedness – NEVER does Steiner use or apply COMMON Sense in his commentary’s and CRITICIZE the Orban – Fidesz Government in what has been, continues to be an INVESTMENT they would title into the Russian M3 trains – that has resulted in factually being, the cataclysmic ABUSE – disrespect – of Hungarians tax payers money.
Hungary – pays now has done in the past and there is no end in sight – for there “Screw up” of this rolling stock and all “other” failings of the M3 Metro Line, that CONTINUES and will absorb “bleed” on the need of tax payers money to maintain it’s antiquated operation.
Steiner Michael – have the gumption – the intestinal fortitude – the “balls” – the manhood – the strength of character – the “spleen” – the back bone Michael Steiner and ADMIT your Political Party of your Membership being the Orban – led Fidesz Political Party – that they again STUFFED up again – this M3 project in the 15 years they have been the Government of Hungary.
MILLIONS of WASTED forints – of Hungarian tax payers Money wasted wrongfully – that CONTINUES.
For the avoidance of doubt I place the blame squarely at the door of Fidesz for the M3 debacle. The project was arranged by Mayor Tarlos with the tacit approval of the government. There was little rationale at the time sending such antiquated trains to be refurbished in Russia, the suspicion was always that the deal was preferred because of the opportunity for backhanders. We’ll probably never find out how much Metrowagonmash paid back to influential people onto numbered bank accounts in Grand Cayman. IF they had been fitted with AC the matter would probably have blown over by now, but not only were they hungry for bribe money, they sought fit to delete AC as it would inevitably reduce the tender cost (and create more scope backhanders?). The torture they inflict on Hungarians and visitors over the unbearably hot summer months cannot be overstated, nor expressed in a monetary figure. The whole debacle is a national disgrace to put no finer point on it, ponying up the funds to replace these pieces of Soviet junk with trains of at least an equal standard to those than run on the other deep level lines is the minimum Fidesz can do to make amends. Ah, I forgot, there’s no money in the Treasury due to gross financial mismanagement.