Railway development in Budapest: here are the two new stations
During the development of the Southern Railway, the section between Kelenföld and Ferencváros will be complemented with one new platform and three new stations: Nádorkert station, Népliget station and Közvágóhíd station. This reconstruction represents a significant development in the public transport of Budapest and its agglomeration, since, on the new railway, trains could go every 10 to 15 minutes.
The article about Nádorkert station is available HERE.
The Southern Railway project can be considered the most significant railway development in Budapest in the last 100 years. The increased number of trains and the new stations will not only make the lives of commuters easier, but the lives of those who want to travel within Budapest, Magyar Építők reported.
A covered passageway will connect the tram track and Népliget station
The rapidly developing station, which is already a significant intermodal transport hub – Budapest’s largest bus stop meets metro line M3 and tram line 1 at Népliget − is now becoming an even more important part of the capital’s transport with a so-far unexploited opportunity. The new station will add a new level to the existing synergy and create three additional connections at Népliget:
- in the direction of Kőbánya-Kispest via the 100A Cegléd railway track and to the Ferenc Liszt International Airport via its planned branch
- to Keleti Pályaudvar (railway station) via the No1 railway line
- in the direction of Pécel-Hatvan, Újpalota or Piliscsaba via the line to Kőbánya felső
Közvágóhíd station: meeting point between the Southern Railway and the renewed suburban railway lines
The main element of the new design of Közvágóhíd station will be two grandiose and elegant underpass arch bridges that go over and across Soroksári út. The curved support systems, starting from the middle of the platforms complements the two main girders on the sides of the arch bridges. These curved supporting elements are very dynamic and provide the bridges’ futuristic look.
In order to give some protection from the elements for people waiting at the stop, these middle supporting arches will have a tarp-like skin stretched across them. The services of the passenger hall are concentrated on the Danube side of the Soroksári út, where elevators and escalators lead up to the platforms.
The glass-walled passenger hall will be divided into zones with the monument-like main staircases, and it will house several service units. The customer service centre will be in the middle, in the focus of the hall.
The area of the station located on the bridges itself will have two middle platforms, one for each bridge, and each platform will have a railway track on each side, adding up to a total of four tracks.
Source: magyarepitok.hu
It is a huge shame that the 2 new stations are a wasted opportunity. The authorities should have used either Arup or Foster Associates for the design. Both have extensive experience in station design (amongst other things) and have won numerous international awards for their work.