3 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Astra IVA REM 003 at Străulești station: TrainSimFan· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2. IVA at Basarab Metro station: TrainSimFan· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. Metroul București - rame Bombardier, CAF și Astra IVA: Nicubunu· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
Astra IVA is a family of metro train used by Bucharest Metro, of which 504 cars (252 two-car sets) were built between 1976 and 1993 by Întreprinderea de Vagoane Arad (IVA) in Arad, Romania. Internally they are known as the BM1 (Bucharest Metro 1st generation).
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 47 years ago, in 1979.
- 860 kW is about 10 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 12 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 38 m long: about 8 cars parked nose to tail.
- Seats 264: 5 full city buses (~50 seats each).
- Still in service after 47 years.
metro: Urban rapid transit: frequent, high-capacity trains, often underground.
spec sheet
- built
- 1979
- in service from
- 1979
- status
- in service
- number built
- 504
- kind
- metro
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇷🇴 Romania
- builders
- Astra Arad
- operators
- Bucharest Metro
- top speed
- 80 km/h
- power
- 860 kW
- gauge
- 1,432 mm narrow gauge
- wheel arrangement
- B′B′+B′B′
- formation
- Married pairs
- length
- 38 m
- weight
- 72 t
- capacity
- 264 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q4811163, Wikipedia: Astra IVA (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.