Budapest was the second city in the world to open a subway line (built for the 1896 Millenial Exhibition), but then that was it for a long time, until two Soviet-style lines (M2, M3) were opened in sections between 1970 and 1990.

Map of the Budapest metro system (with normal rail and dedicated suburban rail lines also shown) from UrbanRail.Net

Line M4 was first proposed in 1972, but the old regime had no money to launch a third project in parallel. The plans were then dusted off after the first free elections. Between 1990 and 1994, implementation was held up by the tussle between Hungary's centre-right national government and the liberal city government: the first wanted the line as part of a proposed 1996 World Expo Budapest and eyed a specific contractor, the second didn't want either. In the next four years, both governments were socialist-liberal coalitions, but austerity delayed agreement on financing until just before the next elections – which they lost. 1998–2002 were the years of Viktor Orbán's first government, but the capital remained in socialist-liberal hands, thus Orbán "punished" Budapest, chiefly by not respecting the inherited funding agreement for Line M4. From this time, the project also became a focus of capital–countryside tensions.

At Kelenföld vasútállomás (Kelenföld Rail Station), the construction of the metro end station was coupled with a reconstruction of the rail station, with a new concourse below the rail tracks and above the metro platform. This looks nothing special for someone from Western Europe, but in Hungary, this is the first platform tunnel that is not a stinking dark concrete hole

Socialist-liberal coalitions ran both the national and city governments again from 2002, so the project was re-launched in 2004. However, it was mismanaged spectacularly: funding (which included EU funding) was a mess, the construction contractors were selected without care, showed lack of expertise, underestimated geological challenges and their own costs; delays and costs (extra costs due to delays and delays due to extra costs) spiralled, especially when work stopped due to disputes between project management and contractors. On top of all that, Fidesz media added its own spin and made-up stories, but the delays and cost inflation didn't stop after Fidesz took over in 2010. In the end, it opened six years behind schedule and 130% above the original budget, even though some planned parts were dropped to save costs.

Above: a train at end station Keleti pályaudvar. Platform doors were saved, even though suicides aren't infrequent on the Budapest metro

Below: the concrete surfaces of the station roof aren't very appealing, but the combination of natural [from the left] and artificial illumination is special

Trains for the new line and new trains for Line M2 were ordered jointly from Alstom. These became the subject of another controversy when the operator and the Hungarian Rail Authority noted safety-relevant deviations of the design from specifications (even though Alstom's metro trains are built according to international standards). These were solved in part with retrofits and in part with a derogation and tests showing a proper safety level. Some background: there is a regulation on the Budapest metro that trains have to have multiple totally independent brake systems. This is taken seriously since an accident on Line M2, when the last car of the last train of the day decoupled and rolled back several stations, stopping after a number of swings at a low point, because brakes failed. The most discussed problem of the Alstom trains was an interdependence of two brakes. (I must note, though, that from the documents I saw, the interdependence appeared to be safety-irrelevant.)

Above: inside an Alstom metro train on Line M4. For passengers, the novelty of the latest generation of metros is wide door-less passageways opening up the entire length of the train, and handrail "trees" in the middle of the standing room between the doors

Below: Line M4 trains are automated, but operate under supervision in the first six months (the man visible is only a friend talking to the supervising driver, though)

Environmentalists in Hungary weren't exactly in love with metros because the construction of Lines M2 and M3 was coupled with tearing up tram tracks and building 2x2- or 2x3-lane main roads on the surface above. A similar city-planning crime was averted in the end along the route of the now opened first section of Line M4, but the tram along the planned north-eastern extension was discontinued due to lack of track maintenance in 1997 and most of the track has been torn up since. As for extensions, while the line would bring the most benefit if it could serve commuters with extensions at both ends, those are off the table for at least 15 years, I think – in which time the comparable systems of Prague, Warsaw and Bucharest (not to mention Vienna) will continue to grow. The city government now focuses on some tram extensions in other parts of the city.

Above: the name-giver of the eastern end of the metro line, Keleti pályaudvar (East Railway Terminus) and the half-open pedestrian underpass in front of it. The M4 station is directly under the bus stop. The terminus of the tram line that used to run along the road on the left was at the far end of this hole

Below: a train leaves for the setting-back track to change direction at Kelenföld vasútállomás. In some uncertain future, the tunnel will continue into a western part of Budapest where now the only public transport is buses

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I bring news about three other, more or less troubled projects around the world in the comments.

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