After years of delays and political uncertainty, Budapest’s long-planned northern extension of Metro Line M3 is moving forward once again, becoming one of the flagship projects in Hungary’s newly announced EU-funded transport investment programme.
The Hungarian government confirmed that the capital will receive European Union funding to extend the country’s busiest metro line from its current northern terminus toward Rákospalota-Újpest railway station, creating a new interchange between Budapest’s metro network and suburban rail services.
Connecting Budapest with its growing suburbs
Although earlier plans envisioned extending Metro Line M3 all the way to Káposztásmegyer, the current investment will initially terminate at Rákospalota-Újpest railway station, where passengers will be able to transfer directly between metro and regional rail services.
The revised scope reflects current budget and implementation constraints but also aligns the metro project with broader suburban railway upgrades planned under the Baross Gábor programme.
A project years in the making
Plans to extend Budapest Metro Line M3 northwards have existed for years, with technical documentation for a longer extension toward Káposztásmegyer already prepared.
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony welcomed the funding decision, calling it “a historic day for Hungarian public transport” and arguing that no seven-year EU budget cycle should pass without metro investment in the capital.
