The extension of the U2 U-Bahn line will be delayed by two years due to technical difficulties, Vienna’s transit authority Wiener Linien has announced.
Inflation has also impacted the project, raising construction costs by sround €300 million beyond the original €2 billion budget agreed upon by Wiener Linien and the city in 2020.
The U2 extension is being carried out alongside the creation of a new line, U5. However, due to “geological challenges,” the first phase of construction, extending U2 from Schottentor to Matzleinsdorfer Platz along a 4.4km stretch, will not be completed until 2030, instead of the initially planned 2028.
Gudrun Senk, Managing Director of Wiener Linien for the technical area, revealed that several unforeseen events had occurred during the construction works. These included unexpected earth movements at the Rathaus station, which caused damage to the new platform screen doors.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Senk assured that all these problems are “technically manageable,” but they will require additional time to resolve.
The reopening of the main stretch of U2 between Karlsplatz and Schottentor, which was scheduled for September, will also be delayed.
Nonetheless, the first section of the U5 line from Karlsplatz to Frankhplatz remains on schedule to become operational by 2026.