Line U2 (Vienna U-Bahn)

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Line U2 U-Bahn-Linie U2
Line U2 train at Donaumarina
Overview
Status	Operational
Termini	Schottentor Seestadt
Connecting lines
Stations	20
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Vienna U-Bahn
Operator(s)	Wiener Linien
Depot(s)	Erdberg, Seestadt
History
Opened	30 August 1980 (1980-08-30)
Technical
Line length	16.7 km (10.4 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Route map Legend Aspern sidings 0.000 Seestadt 1.276 Aspern Nord 2.673 Hausfeldstraße An den alten Schanzen (Shell) 4.256 Aspernstraße 5.057 Donauspital 5.739 Hardeggasse 6.376 Stadlau 7.553 Donaustadtbrücke Donaustadt Bridge, New Danube Donaustadt Bridge, Danube 8.408 Donaumarina Connection to Erdberg depot 9.534 Stadion 10.197 Krieau 10.944 Messe-Prater 11.799 Praterstern 12.760 Taborstraße Donaukanal 13.472 Schottenring (since 2008) Link to U1 at Stephansplatz 14.220 Schottentor Proposed new south branch Future connection with 15.141 Rathaus Lerchenfelder Straße (closed 2003) 15.806 Volkstheater 16.230 Museumsquartier 16.838 Karlsplatz Neubaugasse Pilgramgasse Reinprechtsdorfer Straße Matzleinsdorfer Platz Extension stage 4 or stage 5 Gußriegelstraße Wienerberg

Line U2 is a line on the Vienna U-Bahn metro system. Opened in 1980, it currently has 20 stations and a total length of 16.7 km (10.4 mi), from Schottentor to Seestadt.^[1] It is connected to U1 at Praterstern and U4 at Schottenring.

Since May 2021, the section from Karlsplatz to Schottentor has been closed due to the construction of the not-yet-opened U5.^[2] Since the closure, Line U2 only runs between Schottentor and Seestadt, totaling just 16 stations and losing its only connection to U3 at Volkstheater, as well as connections at Karlsplatz to U1 and U4.

Line U2 serves the following stations:^[3][2]

No service due to construction:

• Karlsplatz (transfer to: )
• Museumsquartier
• Volkstheater (transfer to: )
• Rathaus

Currently in service:

• Schottentor
• Schottenring (transfer to: )
• Taborstraße
• Praterstern (transfer to: )
• Messe-Prater
• Krieau
• Stadion
• Donaumarina
• Donaustadtbrücke ( P+R  park & ride facility)
• Stadlau (transfer to: )
• Hardeggasse
• Donauspital
• Aspernstraße
• Hausfeldstraße
• Aspern Nord (transfer to: )
• Seestadt

The construction of the tunnel, which was later the centrepiece of the U2, was started in 1963. After the tunnel was completed in 1966 with a length of 1.8 kilometres, it ran from Vienna Secession to Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz. Soon after, the modern construction of Vienna's railway was built on the 3 November 1969.^[4] This consisted of the newly built U1 line, and two merged lines from a tram and old metro, of the line U2 and U4 respectively. As the result of a more streamlined network, there were new routes between U1, U2 and U4.^[5]

In the 1960s and 1970s, U2 received a total of three new stations: Karlsplatz, Schottentor and Schottenring. On 30 August 1980, the U2 between Karlsplatz and Schottenring was opened, meaning the line was 3.5 kilometres in length.^[6]

Between 1980 and 2008, the U2 remained by far the weakest busy line in the Vienna network. As a result, U2 was extended to the Ernst Happel Stadium in 2008, to Aspernstraße in 2010, and finally to Seestadt on October 5, 2013.^[7]

It has been proposed that the existing U2 line will be separated into two lines at Rathaus station. The section of the current U2 line from Rathaus to Karlsplatz will be upgraded to allow for driverless operation and become part of a new U5 line. A new U2 line will then be built, extending from Rathaus to Wien Matzleinsdorfer Platz railway station (for interchange with the Vienna S-Bahn), via interchanges with the U3 at Neubaugasse and the U4 at Pilgramgasse, and then on to Wienerberg.^[8][9] In late 2017 it was announced that construction on the new line would start in 2018, with entry into service planned for 2024.^[10]

The development of the cars of the U2 Trains was by Simmering-Graz-Pauker (SGP) in 1972.^[11] This unit had a two-axle motorcar, it was 36.8 metres long and 2.8 metres wide and a permanently coupled twin railcar. A train was made up of three double cars. From 1987, SGP upgraded their cars' technical equipment, which included water-cooled three-phase motors, brakes with energy recovery and modernised emergency braking and safety equipment.^[12] In 2006, the U2 LED displays replaced the original in-and-out illuminated telltale displays. In addition, the trains were retrofitted with plastic seats, video surveillance and warning lights that had signalled the door closing. An individual car consists of 49 seats and 91 standing spots.

The line is, as of June 2019, operated with a mixture of the original trains and the newer Type V, with each train having 260 seats and 618 standing spots.

In rush hour and during the night, the entire line is serviced by all trains; during all other operating hours, every second train terminates at Aspernstraße due to lower capacity utilization on the final section.

• Media related to Metro line U2 (Vienna) at Wikimedia Commons