Mysterious water spring at Gellért tér metro platform

A puddle has been cordoned off since last week at the second pillar of the platform for trains to Kelenföld at the Gellért tér metro station. It is actually more like a tiny underground spring than a puddle, seeing as a week has passed and they still haven't managed to clean it up...

, a reader who identified herself as Melinda alerted Index.hu.

Melinda says she is unable to dispel the array of disturbing mental images she has about "all the things that could happen as a result of water seeping through at the Nth underground level, next to a pair of tracks jam-packed with electric gadgets, which run through half of the city, with train cars powered by electricity on them; a new train loaded with people every five minutes... And, incidentally, underneath a damn big river at that particular station too."

As the water source looks like a cause for concern to Index.hu as well, the news portal has contacted DBR Metro Project Directorate to ask where it comes from and what will happen to it. Should perhaps more thorough background research be undertaken, given the existence of thermal springs nearby?

DBR replied the seepage has nothing to do with the thermal springs; rather, the issue stems from deficient insulation by Bamco Kkt. (Vinci - Strabag - Hídépítő), the contractor that built the tunnels as well as the station at Gellért tér. Index’s question of where the water comes from, if not from the thermal springs, has not been answered, which suggests that the source of the seepage could be either water from the Danube or ground water.

In the course of the warranty period, operator BKV has notified the contractor of the problem several times, calling for action to eliminate the issue. The warranty period stipulated by the law is not yet over; the contractor has been repeatedly instructed to repair the faulty piece of work.

However, Bamco could not care less.

Therefore, BKV is likely to engage another contractor to do the repairs, and seek damages from Bamco.

• Tags:
• metró,
• economy,
• danube,
• underground