One of Budapest’s best-known and most beloved modes of transportation, the Small Underground, is celebrating its 130th anniversary today. The M1 metro line – officially known as the Millennium Underground Railway – is not only an iconic symbol of the capital but was once a world-leading technical innovation. Today, as part of the World Heritage Site, it serves as a living historical monument for commuters day after day. The line is currently awaiting renovation, and the project is in the preparatory phase.

The MillFAV, now known as the Kisföldalatti (Small Underground), was the continent’s first underground railway. Designed from the outset for electric propulsion – a novelty considered unique at the time – it was opened to traffic on May 2, 1896, on the occasion of the millennium celebrations. Just a few days later, Emperor Franz Joseph himself traveled on the new line all the way to City Park. The monarch was so impressed by this mode of transportation that he granted permission for the railway to bear his name. Thus, until 1949, it was known as the Ferenc József Underground Electric Railway (FJFVV).

The history of the small underground system has been closely intertwined with the development of Budapest over the past nearly one and a half centuries. Although the line has been rebuilt and modernized several times, many original elements have survived to this day. In 1973, the entire line was renovated; at that time, all stations were moved underground and the line was extended to Mexikói út. Then, in 1995, the most significant renovation in the history of the small underground took place, when the stations of the original line regained their former distinctive appearance. At the stations, which are protected as World Heritage sites, the white-and-brown Zsolnay tiles and ornate column capitals can still be seen today, evoking the atmosphere of the turn of the century. Above ground, Art Nouveau-style entrance pavilions once stood. The works of Albert Schickedanz, the designer of the Museum of Fine Arts, are now only preserved in archival photographs and in the models at the Deák Ferenc tér museum, created within one of the original tunnel sections of the Millennium Underground Railway.

MillFAV attracted significant interest not only in Hungary but also internationally. The Budapest subway was studied by French and German experts, and even the mayor of Berlin visited it. The metro in the French capital, which hosted the World’s Fair – where MillFAV won a gold medal – was completed in 1900, and the Berlin metro in 1902, both modeled after the Budapest underground railway.

Not only is the line itself celebrating an anniversary, but so is one of the first cars of it. Car No. 11, which now operates only as a nostalgia train and is affectionately referred to by the public as the “Old Lady,” is also 130 years old. It underwent a complete renovation in 1996 for its 100th anniversary, so the vehicle, now restored to its original splendor, offers a special experience every time it runs. It is met with great interest and enthusiasm whenever it leaves the depot for a nostalgic run.

The line is currently awaiting renovation; the preparatory phase is underway, and the development may be implemented subject to further consultations and funding. Plans include extending the line, making it accessible, and improving transfer options, naturally in compliance with historic preservation regulations.

May 2, 2026

BKV Zrt.

Gallery