In 1955, a report published by the municipal government concerning the inner city of Amsterdam—known by the Dutch title Nota Binnenstad—suggested installing a commission to explore solutions to the traffic problems Amsterdam faced.

Clerx, was subsequently installed in March 1956, and published its report Openbaar vervoer in de agglomeratie Amsterdam in 1960.

In April 1963 they installed the Bureau Stadsspoorweg which had the task to study the technical feasibility of a metropolitan railway, to propose a route network, to suggest the preferred order of construction of the various lines, and to study the adverse effects of constructing a metro line, such as traffic disruption and the demolition of buildings.

The East Line starts underground, crossing the city centre and adjacent neighbourhoods in the eastern districts until Amsterdam Amstel railway station, where it continues above ground in southeastern direction.

The architects frequently visited the construction sites to instruct the workers to do something specific to allow for possible changes in the future.

[18] During the construction of the metro tunnel, the decision to demolish the Nieuwmarkt neighbourhood in the city centre led to strong protests in the spring of 1975 from action groups consisting of locals and members of the highly active Amsterdam squatting movement.

Therefore, Route 51 was originally referred to as a 'sneltram' (express tram) service, and the vehicles were manufactured to light rail standards.

[26] A notable part of the East Line infrastructure is a dual metro overpass on the Gaasperplas Branch in the Bijlmermeer district between Ganzenhoef and Kraaiennest stations.

This exceptional height was necessary because the metro had to bridge the main thoroughfares in the Bijlmermeer district which were built on a system of raised embankments and viaducts.

The stations, the infrastructure and the Diemen-Zuid maintenance facility of the East Line were designed by Ben Spängberg and Sier van Rhijn, two architects at the former Public Works Department of the City of Amsterdam.

Their designs in Brutalist style are characterized by large-scale application of bare concrete and excessive space in the underground station halls.

As part of the city's policy that one percent of construction budgets for public works had to be spent on art, all stations on the Oostlijn have been decorated by different artists.

In addition, the western wall of the tunnel was painted with lines and patterns which altered between the two stations, providing passengers with a fascinating view during the ride.

Plans to remove all artworks as part of the large-scale renovation of the East Line tunnel in 2012 were altered after citizens' protests stating their historical significance.

[29] Another East Line station, Kraaiennest on Route 53, was reconstructed and upgraded in 2013 as part of the major urban renewal efforts in the Bijlmermeer district.

[33][34] Following the Nieuwmarkt Riots in 1975, the next major expansion of the metro network into the bordering city of Amstelveen was politically sensitive.

When the decision was made to begin construction of the Amstelveenlijn (Amstelveen Line) in 1984, it was originally considered an express tram service rather than a fully-fledged metro route.

In 2018, after the completion of the Noord-Zuidlijn (North–South Line), there would be no more room at Amsterdam Zuid station for Route 51 to continue as express tram service into Amstelveen.

In order to bridge the gap between the trains and the platforms in northern section, the vehicles were equipped with retractable footboards at the doors.

In addition, the vehicles were equipped with pantographs in order to retrieve power from the overhead wiring on the southern section.

The new "trams" (Series M4 and S3) have retractable running boards to bridge the space between the vehicle and the platform at existing stations.

[40] The construction programme experienced several difficulties, mainly at Amsterdam Centraal, resulting in the project running more than 40% over budget and the opening being delayed several times.

[46] In June 2019, the province of North Holland outlined plans to extend the metro to Zaandam and Purmerend along with Schiphol and Hoofddorp.

The original, first-generation fleet consisted of types M1, M2 and M3, designed as four-axle, two-car sets manufactured by the German firm Linke-Hofmann-Busch and delivered between 1973 and 1980.

These first-generation trains are nicknamed zilvermeeuw (herring gull) because of their body of unpainted steel creating a silvery look.

These vehicles are equipped with both third rail shoes and pantographs, along with retractable footboards to bridge the gap between the trains and the platforms on sections built to full metro standards.

Delivered from June 2013 onwards, the M5 series departs radically from previous generation units by coming in six-car articulated sets with gangway connections between all cars.

Onwards, the M7 series departs radically from previous generation M5 units by coming in three-car articulated sets with gangway connections between all cars.

Full metro units for Routes 50, 53 and 54 Built by CAF (30 units total) (195 feet 629⁄64 in)Width: 3.0 m (9 ft 10+1⁄8 in)Weight: 95 t (209 439 lb)Maximum speed: 80 km/h (50 mph) The OV-chipkaart, a nationwide contactless smart card system, is the only valid form of ticket on the metro system.

Ticket barriers have been installed in all metro stations, with free-standing card readers where platforms are shared with train or tram lines.