U-Bahn in Vienna - U3 (Part Two)

[Bahnsteig4]

A runner up to my first thread about the U4



U3

Ottakring - Simmering

This line was only opened in 1991 and the last branch (Erdberg - Simmering) was inaugurated in 2000.

Nearly all of this line is underground, except for the northwestern terminus Ottakring and the former southeastern terminus Erdberg.

Identification colour: Orange.

Length: 13,5 kms
Travel time: 25 mins
Stations: 21
Transfer possibilities: 4 to S-Bahn, 4 to U-Bahn


Let's roll...

Ottakring

Change here for:
45B, 46B, 146B
J, 46
S-Bahn

The entrance under the tracks to the sidings which are actually located inside of a residential building, the brick wall to the right belong to the viaduct of the S45 line:








Kendlerstraße

You can see a pleasent difference to the pretty worn U4 stations:








Hütteldorfer Straße

Change here for:
10, 49

I had the honour of visiting this station during the tunnel boring works. Pretty impressive to say how it's changed since, I must say...











Johnstraße

Change here for:
49
10A, 12A

Lots of exits are integrated into buildings constructed in the 90s or early 2000s:




Stylish geometry is a common feature in most new-ish stations.




Schweglerstraße

Change here for:
9, 49
12A







Pretty cool work of art:




Westbahnhof

One of the most important stops along the route. Eastbound trains always really fill up here.

Change here for:
U6
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB)
S-Bahn
5, 6, 9, 18, 52,58
Regional buslines
Airport Shuttle Busses

I only took pics of one exit. The other ones will be featured in the U6 edition.


The underpass junction under the Europaplatz. You can reach every tramway, bus, S-Bahn, railway and underground line without getting wet:




Zieglergasse

Zieglergasse and Neubaugasse stations are architecturally identical:





Neubaugasse
Change here for:
13A





Volkstheater

Change here for:
U2
1, 2, D, J, 46, 49
48A

A very important and interesting station:
The entrance on the Ringstraße, where you can get on all the tramway lines.


The view from the exit, Austria's parliament and the town hall behind it:


The platform itself, artistically enhanced.




Herrengasse
Unlikethe U4, the U3 actually crosses the very city center (between Volkstheater and Stubentor)

Change here for:
1A, 2A, 3A




Stephansplatz - City
The most important touristic station.
Change here for:
1A, 3A

Spot the station!






Stubentor

Change here for:
1, 2
74A

The standard exit:


Built into relicts of the former city wall from the middle ages:


The tracks lie above each other here, so this rather unusual view is possible:
The westbound track below, the eastbound track above:






Landstraße - Wien Mitte

Change here for:
U4
S-Bahn, City-Airport Train
O, 74A

I showed you the main hall in this thread, so I tried to capture some different places this time:



U4 to the left, U3 to the right:




Rochusgasse

Change here for:
4A, 74A, 79A









Kardinal-Nagl-Platz

Change here for:
77A, 79A









Schlachthausgasse

Change here for:
18, 72
78A, 80B, 83A, 84A (stadium lines)

This stop is close to Vienna's wonderful tramway museum, I can really recommend it to everyone who is even remotely interested.



A perfect example of well connected PT:






Erdberg
The former terminus of this line, also home to the U-Bahn maintenance.

Change here for:
78A, 79A
Eurolines busses





After Erdberg, the new track (opened 2000) disappears underground again:




Gasometer
Vienna didn't decide to tear our former gasometers down, but to totally reactivate them with flats and shopping centers and even an event hall.

Change here for:
80A

Looks pretty cool:








Zippererstraße

Change here for:
71, 72





Childrens' paintings:




Enkplatz


Change here for:
6, 71, 72
6A, 15A









Simmering
The southeast terminus.

Change here for:
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB)
S-Bahn
71, 72
69A, 73A

As it is underground, you don't notice you are at a terminus:


What you see first, when you emerge from the worms and the moles:


The station buliding directly under the tracks of the railway:





And that is the end of that! I encourage praisning words.
Actually, I expect a little more resonance than on my U4 thread..

Thanks for watching!

[snupix]

Awesome report!

[AmiDelf]

is the Vienna and Oslo wagons same width ? half of the roof on the oslo wagons would fall off if tried in London and about 15% in Stockholm.

I see that Vienna uses same third rail system as in Oslo. Some of your pics shows third rail with yellow cover also.

[alta-bc]

Great pictures! Some of the stations remind me a bit of the Munich subway, especially the platform level of Schweglerstraße.

Looks like most stations have have two access points, one at either end of the station. Is that right?

I really like station entrances that are incorporated into existing buildings. Are platform lengths 120m?

[Bahnsteig4]

Platform length is between 115 and 120m.
Most stations have two access buildings, yes. Some of course, have more.

[Blijdorp]

Great photo's. I'm looking forward to your other reports.

[Falubaz]

these "kind-of-children-paintings" on the walls are great idea
/die sind echt geil/

[Bahnsteig4]

It's not "kind of children", these walls were really designed by children of a nearby elementary school:

[AmiDelf]

Very nice report. Vienna seems to have a great metro network. I like the stations.

[Slartibartfas]

Another great chapter of your U-Bahn series.

[Bahnsteig4]

Expect the U6 tomorrow afternoon.

[kokpit]

Beautiful, Thank you! Vienna was first western city I visited after the Iron curtain fell down. I still remember how amazed I was back then.

[GNU]

That Gasometer looks great!

[Bahnsteig4]

There are four of them actually.

Vienna Gasometers on Wikipedia.

[samsonyuen]

The U-bahn's great. I was really impressed when I rode it. (I stayed by Westbahnhof.)

[Bahnsteig4]

InterCity Hotel?

[stefanguti]

Wieviel Arbeit dahinter steckt...

[brisbanite]

Great pic's bahnsteig, glad this old thread has been revived .