Bucharest Metro Line M2

M2 (18.68 km (11.6 mi)) is one of the five lines of metro of the Bucharest Metro.[2][3] The M2 Line runs from Pipera to Berceni, thus linking the north to the south of the city. The line is the busiest on the system, passing through a multitude of neighbourhoods, and also the only line to serve the centre of the city.

Line M2
M2 trains at Piața Victoriei station
Overview
Status	Operational
Termini	Berceni Pipera
Stations	14
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Bucharest Metro
Operator(s)	Metrorex S.A.
Depot(s)	IMGB
Rolling stock	BM3 (CAF)
Ridership	69530000 (2019)[1]
History
Opened	24 January 1986
Technical
Line length	18.68 km (11.61 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Route map proposed northern extension Pipera Aurel Vlaicu Aviatorilor Piața Victoriei M1 Piața Romană Universitate Piața Unirii M1M3 Tineretului Eroii Revolutiei Constantin Brâncoveanu Piața Sudului Apărătorii Patriei Dimitrie Leonida Berceni under construction ↓ under construction   Tudor Arghezi

History

The line was built during the 1980s when the industrial development in Romania was in full swing. A north-south metro line was crucial, seeing as other methods of public transport were very crowded and cars were very rare. As such the construction of this line was prioritised over others such as the M4, which was only completed recently. The building of the M2 line led to the removal in 1987 of the trolleybus lines linking Berceni to Băneasa; those lines, put in place in 1962, were made obsolete by the opening of the metro, according to the city planners at the time.

The M2 line was opened in two steps:[4]

1. Berceni – Piața Unirii on 24 January 1986;
2. Piata Unirii – Pipera on 25 October 1987.

A unique station on the Bucharest Metro is Piața Romană, which was shelved from the initial plan. It was built after the opening of the line in 1987, and this can be noticed easily; the platforms are very narrow and the pillars are massive. The station opened on 28 November 1988.[5]

As it stands now, the line is currently overcapacity due to the massive amount of commuters using the line, and also the gap left due to the removal of trolleybus lines. Aside from this, the line infrastructure has reached its maximum age usage, and is prone to various incidents. Metrorex announced on 30 May 2019 that the line will undergo renovations over a 48-month period, although a beginning date on the works has yet to be announced.

Rolling Stock

A CAF train on the left alongside two Movia trains on the right.

The M2 uses new, CAF trains. The CAF trains were bought in 2014 so that the Movia trains could run on the M1 and M3, replacing the old Astra IVA trains that were moved to the new line of M4.[6][7]

Name Changes

Station	Previous name(s)	Years
Eroii Revoluției	Pieptănari	1986–1989
Dimitrie Leonida	IMGB	1987–2009
Berceni	Depoul IMGB	1987–2009

Extensions

An at-grade extension toward the Bucharest South Ring Road, with a length of 1.6 km (1.0 mi) and one station, was approved and has been under construction since January 2020.[8][9] The name of the new station will be Tudor Arghezi (after the writer Tudor Arghezi). The project includes also a park and ride facility with 600 places and it's expected to be completed in two years.[10]

References

1. "Activity Report 2019" (pdf). Metrorex S.A. p. 38. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
2. "Activity Report 2018" (pdf). Metrorex S.A. p. 6. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
3. "Bucharest". www.urbanrail.net.
4. "Metrorex history". Metrorex S.A. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
5. Popa, Laura (17 December 2020). ""De ce nu e stație la Piața Romană?" Istoria metroului bucureștean spusă de unul dintre arhitecții care l-au proiectat" ["Why isn't there a station at Piața Romană?" The history of the Bucharest metro told by one of the architects who designed it]. PressOne (in Romanian). Press One Media SRL. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
6. "Activity Report 2018" (pdf). Metrorex S.A. p. 23. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
7. "CAF metro trains enter service in Bucureşti". Metro Report International. DVV Media International Ltd. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
8. Andone, Anemona (27 April 2020). "Stație nouă de metrou în Berceni: Primăria Sectorului 4 a atribuit contractul asocierii Somet - TIAB - UTI - Construcții Erbașu" [New metro station in Berceni: the City Hall of Sector 4 awarded the contract to the association Somet - TIAB - UTI - Construcții Erbașu]. www.economica.net (in Romanian).
9. Olteanu, Anca (17 January 2021). "Incep lucrarile la noua statie de metrou "Tudor Arghezi". Circulatia rutiera va fi restrictionata in zona" [Work begins on the new "Tudor Arghezi" metro station. Road traffic will be restricted in the area]. ziare.com (in Romanian). iMedia Plus Group. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
10. Şandru, Diana (19 January 2021). "O nouă staţie de metrou în Bucureşti. Au început lucrările pentru staţia Tudor Arghezi" [A new metro station in Bucharest. The works for the Tudor Arghezi station have started]. Mediafax (in Romanian). MediaPro Group. Retrieved 2021-01-19.