Bucharest’s metro is the city’s beating heart—moving 750,000 people daily through five lines that keep Romania’s capital connected. But by 2021, the system’s core Metro Line 2 was showing its age. Late one night, EIB Advisory transport engineer Mihai Frumosu walked the silent tunnels and saw that “without immediate intervention, it would be impossible to keep the line functioning. A disruption could paralyse the centre of Bucharest.”
Line 2 needed to cope with a rapidly growing city, while its infrastructure – some of it half a century old – couldn't meet new environmental, social and technical requirements. And it had to keep running while it was expanded and renovated. “We calculated that to replace the metro service, you’d need more than 100 full buses every minute,” says Alan O’Brien, EIB Advisory lead urban mobility expert. “Closing it would have choked the city.”
EIB Advisory worked with Metrorex, the government-owned company that runs the Metro, to develop a phased renovation plan. The solution? Keep the line running with partial closures on weekends and during the summer, while maintaining operations on weekdays. “Safety was the main concern—not comfort or speed,” says Frumosu. “When you carry thousands of people, you must carry them safely first.”
This approach turned a seemingly unmanageable project into a model for future upgrades. “Through technical partnering with Metrorex, the project was turned from unimplementable into a best-in-class solution,” O’Brien says. This model is now expected to be replicated on Lines 1 and 3.
Building the metro of tomorrow
In 2025, the EIB’s work is more vital than ever. The Bank’s advisory team is:
- managing contractual claims for the Raul Doamnei–Eroilor section of Metro Line 5, ensuring smooth project execution and cost control.
- drafting terms of reference for new feasibility studies, supporting future metro lines and network extensions.
- advancing a network-wide strategy to modernise assets, improve energy efficiency, and reduce congestion and pollution.
“We have many investments underway, and we’re counting on continued support,” says Denis Panait, Metrorex’s project leader.
A long-term partnership
Over the past decade, the European Investment Bank has provided more than €420 million in loans for the Bucharest metro as well as expert advice to Metrorex for:
- the first phase of Line 5
- acquisition and modernisation of rolling stock
- tunnel safety improvements
- upgrades across the system
Bucharest metro is expanding, improving travel times and city connectivity. Lines 4 and 5 provide important north-south and east-west links, integrating new districts of the city into the metro system. The rollout of these projects is taking place in stages, with Line 4 to Străulești and Line 5 to Drumul Taberei already open– both of which benefited from EIB advisory support
On Line 4, EIB support even helped Metrorex resolve contractor claims, saving millions of euros. “That was a good return on investment for our services,” Frumosu notes.
Real change for real people
When Line 5 opened in September 2020, the impact was immediate. “A colleague told me she arrived at work 20 minutes earlier than before. That’s a real change in people’s lives,” says Panait, who led the Line 5 project from 2016.
For Bucharest’s residents, these improvements are more than numbers. Monika, a regular metro user, says: “I use Metro Line 5 almost daily to go to work and to pick up my daughter. The M5 line has improved my daily life. It is safer and more comfortable.”
Towards a greener, smarter metro
Beyond individual projects, EIB Advisory is helping Metrorex develop a strategy for the entire network. “Bucharest ranks as one of the most congested cities in the European Union, whilst remaining a major engine of economic activity for Romania. As well as encouraging more people to switch from cars to metro, reducing pollution and improving mobility, the city also needs to face future challenges” says O’Brien.
This strategy includes:
- reducing energy use and improving climate resilience
- considering dual-use infrastructure. Many stations built in the 1980s with civil defence in mind can be upgraded for modern needs at minimal cost
- rethinking station upgrades, possibly through architectural competitions, to create modern, energy-efficient spaces with retail and community facilities. “Why not aim for one of the most modern, low-energy metro systems in Europe?” O’Brien says.
