New stations for underground lines U2 and U5

2018 saw the start of construction works for the extension of the existing underground line U2 from Vienna City Hall (Rathaus station) and for the first section of the new U5 to Frankhplatz/Altes AKH. Once the project is completed, it will take no more than six minutes to travel from City Hall to Matzleinsdorfer Platz. Eleven new stations and nine kilometres of new underground tracks will be built, of which six kilometres for the U2 and three for the U5.

Now that the new routing and stations have been decided upon, 3D graphic rendering and scale models will be used to display the plans for the new parts of the Vienna underground network, providing details on the station layout and the location of the exits.

Project highlights above and below ground

The highlights of the project include the new public transport hub at Neubaugasse, where U2 will cross under the existing U3 tunnels about 37 metres below ground level. Neubaugasse station is expected to become the second busiest underground hub in the Vienna network, nearly reaching the passenger numbers of the central station underneath St. Stephen’s square (Stephansplatz). The new stations at Frankhplatz and City Hall are to take over about a third of the passengers currently using the highly frequented Schottentor station. Reinprechtsdorfer Straße will be the very first underground stop at the heart of Vienna’s 5^th district, Margareten. In a few years, it will allow passengers to access the U2 from Spengergasse or Siebenbrunnenplatz. Matzleinsdorfer Platz station is situated between Vienna Central Station (Hauptbahnhof Wien) and the Meidling rail station. With exits in the 10^th and 5^th districts, the new station is designed to become a third major transfer hub between the local rapid transit network and the Vienna underground, considerably improving transport services for commuters in particular.

Test drilling results: as expected

The results of the first test drillings were in line with what experts had expected, minimising the risk of unexpected complications during the underground construction phase. Further tests were conducted along the planned route by October 2016. Systematic test drilling allows for a detailed analysis of the ground structure before construction starts.

New visitor centre at U5 station Volkstheater

The future U5 station Volkstheater will include a visitor centre offering comprehensive of information on the planning and construction of the project. "Forum Volkstheater" will remain open to everyone interested during the construction phase.

Securing jobs by investing in public transport

Apart from the obvious benefits for passengers and the environment, the U2/U5 project creates and secures thousands of jobs for many years. During the first construction phase, investments of about EUR 950 million are set to create over 16,000 jobs for many years to come. The total job creation effect of the project will amount to about 1,700 fulltime equivalents for every EUR 100 million invested.