Bucharest’s 5th metro line opening pushed for 2018

The subway line that connects Bucharest's Drumul Taberei residential area to the city center will only be inaugurated in the second half of 2018, instead of end-2017 as expected, local Economica.net reports. Line 5 of the Bucharest metro is meant to link the capital's Drumul Taberei and Pantelimon neighborhoods, going through the current Universitate and Eroilor subway stations in the city center. The opening of the Râul Doamnei – Eroilor segment is pending on new bids for acquiring new trains and a traffic safety system with which the new trains need to be equipped. “Metrorex […] in order to speed up the process already started the acquisition of the safety system, using the existing rolling stock and adding the equipment to the trains in its fleet. The work is estimated to finish in the first semester of 2018,” Marin Aldea, general director of Metrorex, told Economica.net. According to him, the main reasons that could lead to postponing the opening of this segment this year include the late contracting of the safety system, because of complaints related to the acquisition procedure, and the insufficient funding allotted in 2017. Metrorex asked for a budget of RON 846.98 million (EUR 188.2 million) for works on the 5

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line in 2017, the head of the Bucharest subway operator said. The first section of the 5

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metro line will have one depot and ten stations: Râul Doamnei, Constantin Brâncuşi, Valea Ialomiţei, Romancierilor, Parc Drumul Taberei, Drumul Taberei 34, Favorit, Orizont, Academia Militară, and Eroilor. The total value of the project stands at RON 3.12 billion (EUR 693.4 million), and is co-financed by the European Commission through the Large Infrastructure Operational Program. The built line will be 6.87 km long. Works began in 2011 and the initial finish date was set for 2014. The second section of this metro line, which will link Eroilor to Iancului, should be completed in 2021. Bucharest’s subway line 6, which will connect the main train station to the airport, should also be completed around that time. editor@romania-insider.com