// Workers AI · dad joke modeDoes the Vilnius Metro go underground? Tube-ly dependent on it.
| Vilnius Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Locale | Vilnius, Lithuania | ||
| Transit type | Rapid transit | ||
| Number of lines | 3 | ||
| |||
The Vilnius Metro (Lithuanian: Vilniaus metropolitenas) is a proposed rapid transit system in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Three lines have been proposed to connect the most bustling and densest city districts together.[1][2] Its purpose is to address the notable decline of public transit usage's modal share and to relieve the significantly increased traffic congestion on the existing road infrastructure.[3][4]
Although test drilling for a proposed Vilnius Metro had been conducted along a 50 metre stretch of Gediminas Avenue near the city's main railway station during the Soviet era,[5] the current proposal dates to 2001 then-Mayor Artūras Zuokas request for international feasibility study. The proposal was approved as part of the city's master plan by the Vilnius Municipal Council in 2002.[6] Systra was chosen by the city as a study partner; the Scott Wilson Group conducted a public-private financing feasibility study during 2005 and 2006.[7][8]
As of 2007, the project was the subject of intense debate by politicians and citizens. The concerns include cost (an estimated €890,000,000 (equivalent to €1,223,250,000 in 2021), the possibility that vibrations would damage the historic buildings in Vilnius Old Town, and the closures of streets during construction.[9] The project was accepted by the Lithuanian government on a concession basis in 2014,[10] but Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaitė placed a veto on the law.[11]
In 2018 the Seimas enacted a new act of metro development that went into effect on 1 January 2020.[12] This act allows private investors to start construction of metro transit systems in Lithuania. The projects would have to be implemented by municipalities, which would be able to buy up to 50 per cent of shares of the construction companies. The projects would be developed in partnership or concession of the state and private companies.[13]
In 2024, Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said the municipal transport company would tender the making of a feasibility study on building a metro or other new public transport system in the capital.[14] In February 2026, Seimas member Tomas Tomilinas proposed building a metro line as a branch of the Rail Baltica railway, using funding earmarked for that project, while former mayor Artūras Zuokas instead proposed a cheaper "light metro" modelled on Copenhagen; the Benkunskas administration was more cautious, citing cost and a preference for expanding the existing bus and trolleybus network.[15]
In March 2026, the transport authority JUDU began a market consultation and pre-design study for a new rail-based transport modality, expected to be finished by mid-2027, including a proposed fourth line from Naujieji Santariškės through Kalnėnai anticipating future residential growth.[16][17] By May 2026, officials were targeting a new transit mode by 2040, while prioritizing a 30 percent expansion of the bus and trolleybus network by 2030 in the interim.[18]
Proposed lines
[edit source]- Pilaitė-Centre
- Pašilaičiai-Central station-Lazdynai (A circle line)
- Justiniškės-Antakalnis
See also
[edit source]References
[edit source]- ↑ "Vilnius is Becoming a Bridge Between Eastern and Western Europe". Vilnius city municipality. 2002. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
A new and modern means of transportation to be introduced into Vilnius City in the near future is considered now. That is the fast tramway, the routes of which shall connect the main city districts with the centre and workplaces.
- ↑ "Metro šalininkai siūlo Vilniui tris linijas ir tiltą" (in Lithuanian). delfi.lt. 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ↑ "Tramvajus ar metropolitenas Vilniaus urbanistinėje struktū roje" (PDF) (in Lithuanian). Gediminas Technical University. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ↑ "Riga and Vilnius tackle traffic". The Baltic Times. 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ↑ "05 24. Kas trukdo Vilniaus metro statybai?, Lietuvos Aidas - Valstybės laikraštis". www.aidas.lt. Archived from the original on 2023-06-19. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
- ↑ "Seminar: Planning for Sustainable Transport" (PDF). Association for European Transport. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
In September 2001, Systra has been chosen to assist the Municipality in defining a LRT scheme and design the technical characteristics of the first line.
- ↑ "Preparation of feasibility study for Vilnius Tram Project financing by the private sector, Lithuania". Scott Wilson Group. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Outline of the 'Vilnius Tram Project'" (PDF). UNESCO. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- ↑ "A tram ride into the future". The Baltic Times. 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- ↑ "Правительство одобрило проект метро в Вильнюсе". DELFI. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
- ↑ Rima Aukštuolytė; Stasys Gudavičius. "Prezidentė vetavo Metropoliteno įstatymą". vz.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2018-08-02.
- ↑ "XIII-1603 Lietuvos Respublikos metropoliteno įgyvendinimo įstatymas". e-seimas.lrs.lt. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ↑ "Vilniaus metro siūloma pripažinti ypatingos svarbos projektu". MadeinVilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). BNS. 2020-04-03. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ↑ "Vilnius to look into possibility of building metro". LRT. 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
- ↑ "Vilnius is talking about the metro again: politicians offer different solutions from 0,5 to 5 billion euros". MadeinVilnius.lt. 2026-02-10. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
- ↑ "The capital takes the first concrete step towards a new mode of transport: metro or tram?". MadeinVilnius.lt. 2026-03-20. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
- ↑ "Vilnius tram-metro planned to be built in rural areas". MadeinVilnius.lt. 2026-04-07. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
- ↑ "Tram, metro, light rail – Vilnius considers new forms of public transport". LRT. 2026-05-07. Retrieved 2026-05-07.
External links
[edit source]
- Vilnius Metro project – a non-governmental organization that is popularizing the idea of a metro in Vilnius
.jpg){kind=small} | This article about a Lithuanian building or structure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
 | This European rapid transit-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |