U-Bahn Line U3: Ottakring – Simmering

Metro line U3 route

U-Bahn line U3 runs east-west through Vienna city centre, where it goes virtually under the St. Stephen’s Cathedral. On the south-east end it extends to Simmering, where it ends at Simmering train station. In the west the U3 ends in Ottakring, where it is also possible to transfer to trains (S-Bahn line S45).

Line U3 schedule and intervals between trains

Like all other U-Bahn lines in Vienna, the U3 operates daily between approximately 5 am to short after midnight. The intervals between trains vary during the day from 2-3 minutes in the peak hours to 10 minutes in late evening.

The culture line

Of the total 21 stations on the U3, only two are above ground (Erdberg and Ottakring). The line is 13.5 km long. In Vienna metro system the U3 has orange colour. It is often nicknamed “the culture line” thanks to some stations’ design (especially Volkstheater) and numerous sights and cultural venues along its route.

Stations on metro line U3

Ottakring
Kendlerstrasse
Hütteldorfer Strasse
Johnstrasse
Schweglerstrasse
Westbahnhof – crossing with line U3; Train Station Vienna West – access to long distance trains
Zieglergasse
Neubaugasse
Volkstheater – crossing with U2, access to MuseumsQuartier
Herrengasse – the Imperial Palace Hofburg
Stephansplatz – City – crossing with U1; a busy station in the heart of Vienna right next to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral (you can see an underground chapel in the station’s vestibule)
Stubentor
Landstrasse / Wien-Mitte – crossing with line U4 and S-Bahn
Rochusgasse
Kardinal-Nagl-Platz
Schlachthausgasse
Erdberg – international bus terminal Wien-Erdberg
Gasometer
Zippererstrasse
Enkplatz
Simmering – Wien-Simmering train station in the east of Vienna, regional and long distance trains

History of U-Bahn line U3

Unlike some other metro lines in Vienna, line U3 was not built by conversion from a past railway or tram tracks and it was newly built. The first section of line U3 between Erdberg and Volkstheater was opened in 1991. Since then there have been four extensions. In 1993 the line U3 was extended to Westbahnhof and in 1994 it reached Johnstrasse. Ottakring, today’s terminal station in the western part of Vienna, was opened in 1998. On the opposite end in the south-east of Vienna, the U3 was extended to Bahnhof Wien Simmering in 2000.