U2 (Vienna U-Bahn)

Line U2 U-Bahn-Linie U2
Line U2 train at Donaumarina
Overview
Status	Operational
Termini	Karlsplatz Seestadt
Connecting lines
Stations	21
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	17.2 km (10.7 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Route map Legend km Aspern sidings 0.000 Seestadt 1.276 Aspern Nord 2.673 Hausfeldstraße 3.5 Lina-Loos-Platz 4.256 Aspernstraße 5.057 Donauspital 5.739 Hardeggasse 6.376 Stadlau 7.553 Donaustadtbrücke Donaustadt Bridge New Danube Danube 8.408 Donaumarina to Erdberg depot 9.534 Stadion 10.197 Krieau 10.944 Messe-Prater 11.799 Praterstern 12.760 Taborstraße Donaukanal 13.472 Schottenring to U1 (at Stephansplatz) 14.220 Schottentor proposed new south branch future connection to 15.141 Rathaus Lerchenfelder Straße  [ de ] 15.806 Volkstheater 16.230 Museumsquartier 16.838 Karlsplatz Neubaugasse Pilgramgasse Reinprechtsdorfer Straße Matzleinsdorfer Platz ↓ stage 4 or stage 5 extension Gußriegelstraße Wienerberg km This diagram: view talk edit

Line U2 is a line on the Vienna U-Bahn metro system. Opened in 1980, it currently has 21 stations and a total length of 17.2 km (10.7 mi), from Karlsplatz to Seestadt. ^[1] It is connected to U1, U3, and U4.

Stations

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

• Karlsplatz (transfer to: )
• Museumsquartier
• Volkstheater (transfer to: )
• Rathaus
• 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
• Lina-Loos-Platz
• Hausfeldstraße
• Aspern Nord (transfer to: )
• Seestadt

History

Construction (1963–1980)

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]

Expansion (2008–2013)

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]

Future

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 2030. ^[10]

Rolling stock

The development of the cars of the Type 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, as of 2025, operates with the newer Type V and Type X. Since 6th of December 2024 the Type U2 has stopped its operation as the newly built Safety Doors from Karlsplatz to Rathaus do not react with them. They are now mainly serving (as of June 2025) at the U3.

Service

Time	Mon–Fri (School)	Mon–Fri (Holidays)	Saturday	Sunday and Public Holidays
04:30 to 07:00	3–5 minutes	4–5 minutes	7 minutes	7 minutes
07:00 to 20:00	3–5 minutes	4–5 minutes	5 minutes	5 minutes
20:00 to 00:00	8 minutes	8 minutes	8 minutes	8 minutes
00:00 to 04:30	No service	No service	15 minutes	15 minutes

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.

References

1. Prillinger, Horst. "Line U2 Seestadt - Karlsplatz". The Vienna Metro. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
2. "Schnellverbindungen" [Rapid services](PDF) (in German). Wiener Linien. 29 June 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
3. "Partial closure of Vienna's U2 subway line until fall 2023". Austrian Press. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
4. Rout, Stephen. "Vienna Underground Train System - Information from Vienna Direct". ViennaDirect. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
5. Prillinger, Horst. "The Modern Metro (U-Bahn), Phase 1 - The Vienna Metro". The Vienna Metro. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
6. "U2 Route: Time Schedules, Stops & Maps". Moovit. Archived from the original on 2018-09-04. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
7. "U2 auf verlängerter Strecke unterwegs". Wiener Linien. Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
8. "Linien U2 und U5" [Lines U2 and U5] (in German). Wiener Linien. 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
9. "Vienna to Introduce Driverless U-bahn Trains". International Railway Journal. 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
10. "Linienkreuz U2/U5 steht in den Startlöchern: Erste Bauarbeiten 2018" [U2/U5 Line Crossing is on the Starting Blocks: First Construction in 2018] (in German). Vienna.at. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
11. Prillinger, Horst. "U, U11 and U2 Stock". The Vienna Metro. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
12. "Vienna U-Bahn". Rehau. Retrieved 2018-09-14.

External links

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