• A Century and a Half of Subways
    Awake!—1997 | March 22

    • The Millennium Underground Railway

      A little more than a century ago, there was an air of anticipation in Hungary. In 1896, Hungary was to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of its founding. By the end of the 19th century, the country’s capital, Budapest, would be among the largest cities in Europe. Already its streets were overcrowded. A surface electric railway was proposed for the millennium celebration, to lighten the load. But the idea was not what the municipal authorities were looking for, and the proposal was rejected. Meanwhile, the London Underground had excited the imaginations of transportation planners in other countries. One such expert in Hungary, Mr. Mór Balázs, put forward the idea of an electric subway. This was approved, and construction began in August 1894.

      The subway was built using the cut-and-cover method—an existing roadway was dug up, and rails were laid below street level. A flat roof was then built over the trench, and the roadway was replaced. On May 2, 1896, the 2.3-mile [3.7 km] subway was inaugurated. A ride in its individual electrically propelled cars was a great improvement over the sulfurous experience endured by riders on the first London Underground! A few days after it opened, King Francis Joseph I visited the new system and approved its being named after him. During the politically stormy times that followed, however, the line was renamed the Millennium Underground Railway. It was the first subway on the European continent. Soon, others followed. In 1900 the Paris Métro went into operation, and Berlin began subway service in 1902.

      The Underground Railway After 100 Years

      For Hungary’s 1,100th anniversary in 1996, the underground railway was restored to its original beauty and style. Tiny white tiles and wine-red ornamental borders decorate the station walls. Station names stand out—framed in tile on the wall. The iron pillars have been reconstructed and are painted green to evoke the atmosphere of the past century. The central station of Budapest includes a railway museum, where you can see one of the original subway cars—over 100 years old! Exhibits relating to the construction of the Millennium Underground Railway as well as the more modern Budapest Metro are also on display.

      When visiting the museum, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hungary cannot help but recall that not long ago the underground railway had quite another function for Christians living here. All through the time that their work was banned in Hungary, Witnesses discreetly used the stations of this famous railway to talk to others about God’s Kingdom. Since 1989, the Witnesses have enjoyed freedom to preach in Hungary. But you may still find them in the Millennium Underground Railway, sharing their belief that the Millennium described in the Bible—the 1,000-year rule of Christ—will soon arrive.