In Moscow, work is being completed to put the Moscow Ring Railway stations into operation. Traffic on the updated small ring will start next year. Several facilities have already been integrated into the city's transport infrastructure. It is assumed that the road will become one with the capital's subway. This information was voiced by the deputy head of the transport department, Hamid Bulatov. According to the official, passengers themselves will not even feel the difference, because they will be able to use a single ticket.
The Moscow Ring Railway will include 31 stops, of which a full-fledged transport interchange network will operate at 21 points, and at 17 stop pavilions passengers will be able to switch to the usual line. At 9 stops, it is possible to transfer to all existing routes of suburban trains, except Kyiv. The small ring of the MKZ will significantly reduce all flows of metro lines and will ensure the possibility of delivering passengers to the main metropolitan highways.
Moscow Ring Road scheme
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The Moscow ring railway stations will be added to the metro map in September 2016. A map may also appear indicating the radial directions of railway tracks; such an innovation is not ruled out by the director of the Moscow Ring Railway, Alexey Zotov.
According to preliminary estimates, the planned passenger flow of the Moscow ring in 2017 will be 75 million people, and by 2020 it will increase 2.3 times to 170 million passengers. The interval in the movement of railway transport will depend on the demand among citizens. If the Moscow Ring Railway becomes popular with passengers, the interval is planned to be reduced to two minutes.
The history of the Small Ring of the Moscow Railway is more than a hundred years old. Back in 1908, the circular route was opened for cargo transportation in 9 directions of the Moscow and 1 direction of the Oktyabrskaya railways. In 2012, the ring had 12 operating stations.
Now the Moscow Ring Railway is a “light metro” under construction, a new ground mode of transport integrated into the overall metropolitan system and allowing passengers to make convenient transfers to buses and trams, metro and electric trains.
The opening of the reconstructed tracks is just around the corner, so it’s time to tell Muscovites and guests of our city in more detail about their advantages.
Latest news about the Moscow Ring Railway
- At a meeting in mid-April 2016, Vladimir Putin was informed that the first Moscow Ring Railway trains would be launched in September 2016. Further work on the construction of the small ring will be concentrated at the transfer points.
- In the twentieth of December, updated metro maps appeared in the capital's subway, which included the Small Ring of the Moscow Railway. This was done specifically so that passengers could get acquainted with pleasant prospects in advance and plan future routes.
- The Moscow Ring Railway will have a modern system for informing passengers via smartphones - for example, a user, being in a specific point in the capital, will be able to receive a message about which station is nearby and how long the train will arrive at it.
- According to the General Director of the Moscow Ring Railway, Alexei Zotov, train intervals on the Small Ring can be reduced to 2-3 minutes if necessary. In general, trains will run according to the subway schedule - with 6-minute intervals during peak hours and 12-minute intervals at other times.
- CCTV cameras will be installed at all stops and transport hubs on the Moscow Circle, which will help maintain the proper level of security.
- Everyone knows that the capital’s metro is an architectural monument that amazes with its grandeur even people who are used to riding it every day. But the “light metro” will also be an interesting piece of architecture, albeit a modern one. Thus, it became known that its stations will be illuminated in different colors in the evening, which will probably look very interesting under the transparent roof.
- The Moscow Ring Road will be fully adapted for use by people with disabilities. In the ticket office areas of each station there is a special ticket office for wheelchair users, the window height of which is less than a meter.
The section is constantly updated with up-to-date information.
Moscow Ring Railway in numbers
The small ring is:
- 54 km railway tracks, and taking into account the entrances and adjacent branches - 145 km;
- 32 stopping points for future passenger transportation and 12 existing freight stations before the start of global reconstruction;
- 212 billion rubles., invested in repair work;
- 20 minutes time saved when traveling around the center of the capital;
- 300 million passengers who will use the “light metro” by 2025;
- before 100 pairs compositions per day.
Moscow Ring Railway station diagram on the map
The stations of the Small Ring Railway will be full-fledged transport hubs (TPU). This means that they will house offices, cafes, shops, and shopping malls. At each station there is a transfer to ground public transport.
The Moscow Ring Railway will include 32 stations. Let's divide them into categories.
Stations from which you can only transfer to ground transport
Koptevo, Presnya, Belokamennaya, Sokolinaya Gora, ZIL, Sevastopolskaya, Novopeschanaya, Khodynka, Volgogradskaya, Park of Legends
Stations from which a transfer to the metro is implied
Vladykino, Botanical Garden, Open Highway, Cherkizovo, Izmailovsky Park, Enthusiasts Highway, Ryazanskaya, Dubrovka, Avtozavodskaya, Gagarin Square, Luzhniki, Kutuzovo, Shelepikha, Khoroshevo, Voykovskaya, Okruzhnaya
Stations from which you can transfer to the Russian Railways radial line
Streshnevo, Nikolaevskaya, Yaroslavskaya, Andronovka, Novokhokhlovskaya, Warsaw
Stations that allow transfers to both the metro and the Russian Railways radial line
District, Ryazan, City
Construction plan and when will it open?
The reconstruction of the Small Ring, which will result in high-speed passenger traffic, began in 2011. Previously, it was planned to launch the light metro in four stages. Traffic on the section of the first stage Presnya - Kanatchikovo was going to be launched at the end of 2014, and on the section of the second, third and fourth stages Presnya - Lefortovo - Kanatchikovo - at the end of 2015.
Nevertheless, it was decided not to rush and launch the ring when it was fully ready - the project was too complex and large-scale.
In December 2015, trains on the Moscow Ring Road were supposed to depart in test mode, but as of the third quarter of 2015, the work was 70% completed.
It is expected that no earlier than the fall of 2016, full-fledged passenger transportation will be established on the Small Ring.
Moscow Ring Railway and World Cup 2018
Some time ago, information was announced that the Moscow Ring Road would be reconstructed for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. But now, according to those in charge, traffic along it will be launched in the fall of 2016.
Fares on the Moscow Ring Railway and train intervals
The cost of travel on the Small Ring will be the same as on the subway. The same tariffs and passes will apply here, which, you see, is very convenient for passengers.
Light metro trains will run every 6 minutes.
- The Moscow Ring Railway is called the “road of the future”. Thanks to it, the “deserted” industrial zones of the capital will find a second wind and will be included in a busy transport ring.
- The Small Ring will connect the gardening estates of Moscow, which is also very convenient for its guests and residents. We are talking about Sparrow Hills, the Mikhailovo and Streshnevo estates, the Botanical Garden, VDNKh, Losiny Ostrov National Park.
- Trains on the Moscow Ring Railway will be able to accelerate to 120 km/h, so travel is guaranteed. The cabin provides free Wi-Fi, sockets for phones and other gadgets, and a climate control system.
- The tracks of the Moscow Ring Railway are already called “velvet” - Muscovites will not hear the sound of wheels, and special screens will protect them from excess noise.
Official website of the Moscow Ring Railway
The largest city in Europe, Moscow, is growing and developing year by year. It’s great that in our time we can observe such positive changes as the growth in the number of modern high-quality roads, metro stations and a fundamentally new type of transport that combines the speed and accessibility of the underground with the ability to transfer to buses, trams, and trolleybuses. We are confident that the Small Ring Railway and its trains will quickly gain popularity among residents of the capital, who value time like no one else.
Launch stages
The opening of the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) took place on September 10, 2016. At the first stage, 24 stations will be available to passengers, and seven more MCC platforms will open in December. A RIAMO correspondent learned how to use a new type of urban transport.
The opening of MCC stations will take place in three stages.
The first one is scheduled for September 10, already this Saturday 24 stations will be put into operation: Okruzhnaya, Likhobory, Baltiyskaya, Streshnevo, Shelepikha, Delovoy Tsentr, Kutuzovskaya, Luzhniki, " Gagarin Square”, “Crimean”, “Upper Boilers”, “Vladykino”, “Botanical Garden”, “Rostokino”, “Belokamennaya”, “Rokossovsky Boulevard”, “Lokomotiv”, “Falcon Mountain”, “Entuziastov Highway”, “ Nizhegorodskaya", "Novokhokhlovskaya", "Ugreshskaya", "Avtozavodskaya" and "ZIL".
In December 2016, 7 more stations will become available to passengers: Koptevo, Panfilovskaya, Zorge, Khoroshevo, Izmailovo, Andronovka and Dubrovka.
And in 2018, the construction of warm crossings will be completed: it will be possible to make transfers without going outside. A total of 350 transfers will be available for passengers, so travel time should be reduced by 3 times.
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Fare
From September 10 to October 10, 2016, travel to the MCC will be free for everyone. Some of the turnstiles will be open, and others will open automatically when approaching them. Thus, tickets will need to be applied to the turnstile only in transitions to railway stations and the metro.
After October 10, any Moscow Metro travel card (Troika, Ediny, 90 Minutes), as well as social cards, will be used to access the MCC station. Within 90 minutes from the moment the ticket is validated, the transition from the metro to the MCC and back will be free. Payment for travel by bank cards is also provided.
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MCC schemes
Three variants of MCC schemes have been developed for passengers. The first, in addition to the metro lines and MCC stations, indicates the stages of opening stations and transitions, the distance between transfer stations and the time it will take to transfer.
The second version of the diagram will help commuters find their way: the map shows railway stations, existing metro lines, as well as MCC stations and “warm” metro transfers.
The third diagram shows the stops of ground urban transport near the MCC stations, as well as the interval of its movement during rush hour. For example, from the Luzhniki platform of the MCC you can go to the Sportivnaya metro station in 2 minutes. Buses number 806, 64, 132 and 255 regularly run there, so getting to the right place will not be difficult.
In addition, the map shows all the main attractions of the city, forest parks and nature reserves. Many of them are within walking distance from the MCC, for example, Losiny Ostrov Park and the Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve.
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Transplants
The MCC is integrated into the Moscow public transport system with the possibility of transfer to the metro, Moscow Railway trains and ground public transport.
From September 10, it will be possible to transfer from the MCC to the metro at 11 stations (Business Center, Kutuzovskaya, Luzhniki, Lokomotiv, Gagarin Square, Vladykino, Botanical Garden, Rokossovsky Boulevard, "Voikovskaya", "Shosse Entuziastov", "Avtozavodskaya"), by train - on five ("Rostokino", "Andronovka", "Okruzhnaya", "Business Center", "Likhobory").
By the end of 2016, the number of transfer hubs will increase to 14 and 6, respectively, and in 2018 there will be 17 transfers from the MCC to the metro and 10 to the train.
To make a free metro-MCC-metro transfer (within an interval of 90 minutes), you need to attach your metro travel document to the turnstile with a special yellow sticker at the entrance to the MCC station.
Passengers who are planning a trip only on the MCC or intend to make one metro transfer - MCC or vice versa, can apply their tickets to any turnstiles, including those without yellow stickers.
If you do not meet the 1.5 hour time limit, you will need to pay for the fare again when making a transfer.
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Trains and intervals
New luxury trains “Lastochka” with a capacity of 1,200 people will run on the MCC. Their maximum speed is 160 kilometers per hour, and they will travel along the MCC at an average speed of 50 kilometers per hour.
The trains are equipped with air conditioning, dry closets, information panels, free Wi-Fi, sockets and bicycle racks.
The cars will open manually: to enter or exit, you will need to press a special button installed on the doors. The buttons will be active (green backlight) only after the train has stopped on the platform; at other times, the doors will be locked for safety reasons.
During morning and evening rush hours, the traffic interval will be only 6 minutes. The rest of the time, “Swallow” will need to wait from 10 to 15 minutes.
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Updating (activating) travel cards
In order to access the MCC using “90 minutes”, “United” for 20, 40 and 60 trips, “Troika” tickets purchased or topped up before September 1, 2016, you need to renew them. To do this, you can contact the metro or monorail ticket office, as well as the metro passenger agency (Boyarsky Lane, 6) or the Moscow Transport service center (Staraya Basmannaya St., 20, building 1).
Holders of a Strelka card to travel by train must exchange it at the metro ticket office for a card with the Troika application.
Activation is carried out without changing the balance of trips and the validity period of the ticket, while the new reprogrammed travel documents will allow free transfers from the metro to the MCC and back.
You can also update your Troika electronic card yourself by topping up your balance at ticket machines at stations, on the website troika.mos.ru, via SMS or at payment terminals. As for social cards, their activation is not required.
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Help and navigation
You can find out detailed information about updating tickets, transfer hubs and navigation on the MCC from consultants at the entrance to the ring metro stations or at metro stations adjacent to the MCC. Volunteers will also help passengers navigate the new transport. A special mobile application is also being developed, with which you can choose the optimal route.
Here you can see new convenient routes through the MCC.
Reconstruction of the Moscow Central Circle (MCC)- a unique project not only for Moscow, but also for Russia as a whole. The MCC has become a full-fledged light metro, integrated into the metro system.
The MCC map is included in the capital's metro map. It shows the approximate time of ground transfers from the MCC.
In addition, the diagram indicates possible transfers from the MCC to ground urban transport, traffic intervals, etc.
Traffic around the ring was launched on September 10, 2016. This gave a new impetus to the development of abandoned industrial areas of the capital, and also made it possible to cut the Gordian knot of transport problems hanging over the capital.
The Moscow Central Circle is the road to the future. Thanks to the ring, trips around the capital take an average of 20 minutes. Another unique feature of the MCC was that it connected the capital’s garden and park ensembles: the Mikhalkovo estate, the Botanical Garden, the territories of VDNKh and the Elk Island National Park, the Vorobyovy Gory nature reserve and others.
MCC is a new life for industrial zones of Moscow
Since 1908, the Moscow Central Circle served industrial zones and mainly performed the function of transporting goods. However, over time, many industrial areas around this ring fell into disrepair, and some industries closed. A number of industrial zones were, at best, used for warehouses. Now these territories are being actively reorganized, housing with social facilities, sports complexes, etc. are being built here. And developing territories require convenient transport connections.
The launch of passenger traffic along the MCC resolves the issue of transport support for industrial zones. In addition, the ring connected suburban trains and electric trains that go to the city center with MCC stations. Passengers can, before reaching the city center, transfer to MCC trains and move further throughout almost the entire territory of Moscow.
All MCC stations were built as transport hubs (TPU). They will include offices, shopping malls, shops and cafes. This concept meets both the interests of investors, for whom it is important to recoup investments in construction, and the needs of citizens.
The first stage of the Moscow Central Circle will take place on September 10. The online publication site answered the most important questions about the new type of urban transport.
What it is?
The Moscow Central Circle is a network that connects the metro and radial lines of suburban railways. It used to be called the Moscow Ring Railway. The MCC runs near the Third Ring Road in the southeast and west of the city and in the middle between the Third Transport Ring and the Moscow Ring Road in the north of the capital.
The main task of the road is to shorten the path from one point remote from the city center to another. According to experts, the launch of the railway should reduce travel time by an average of 20 minutes, relieve congestion on the Circle Subway Line by 15 percent, and the city’s central stations by 20 percent.
How many stations will open on the MCC?
The ring includes 31 stations, each of which provides transfers to other types of public transport. 17 stations will be connected to 11 metro lines, 10 to radial railway lines.
At the first stage, 26 stations will be available to passengers, reports the press service of the Moscow Construction Complex, citing Deputy Mayor for Urban Development Policy Marat Khusnullin. The rest will begin work before the end of the year.
Until 2018, the connection between MCC stations and metro stations, radial railway lines and surface urban transport will gradually improve.
Photo: MCC press center in the Moscow metro
Where can I transfer from the MCC?
In total, with the launch of the MCC, Muscovites and guests of the capital can make more than 350 transfers, and travel time when moving around the capital will be reduced by three times.
Passengers will be able to freely change trains when traveling on the following routes: Metro – MCC – Metro; Metro – MCC; MCC – Metro – Monorail; Monorail – Metro – MCC – Metro.
There are also transfers from trains to buses, trolleybuses and trams. The surface transport schedule will be adjusted to the MCC schedule.
The intervals of ground transport routes serving the ring have been approximately 10 minutes since September 8. In the future, they are planned to be reduced to 6–8 minutes, so that passengers can almost immediately transfer from the MCC to ground transport.
Territory maps have been updated for more than four thousand ground transport stops, and 15 stops now have stations on the new ring.
It will also be possible to get to the new railway line by personal transport: special parking lots will be installed at 13 stops.
How to navigate the MCC?
In total, several versions of the MCC scheme have been prepared. On one of them, it is plotted on a map of the city with the designation of suburban railway lines, as well as metro lines, including the Third Interchange Circuit under construction.
In the second, the MCC map is included in the currently used metro map and is indicated there as the 14th metro line. In total, 50 thousand new schemes will be posted in the subway. The updated maps will also contain information about how long it will take to transfer from the metro station to the MCC station.
The ring stations themselves are equipped with navigation panels in Russian and English. Braille will be installed for visually impaired passengers. Also at each station there will be boards with train arrival times. Several of them will have “Live Communication” counters.
Where can I find detailed information about the MCC?
A section dedicated to the Moscow Central Circle has appeared on the official website of the capital's metro.
The new page contains information about the history of the creation of the MCC and the modern Lastochka trains running around the ring. Also, site visitors can familiarize themselves with the map of transfers from the metro to the MCC and select convenient routes.
In addition, a page for the central ring was opened on the Unified Transport Portal. Here you can also get detailed information about the routes taken and the time spent on the road.
What tickets will be valid on the MCC?
The tickets for the MCC are the same as for the metro. In the first month after opening, travel will be free.
Passengers using a Unified or Troika card purchased before September 1 need to renew their travel cards. Single can be renewed at the metro ticket office, Troika can be renewed through a machine by topping up the card with any amount.
Social cards do not require updating. The same applies to passes purchased in September.
It will be possible to buy tickets at the ring stations both in cash and by cards. They also plan to introduce a contactless fare payment system, which will allow you to pay for travel using a mobile phone, as well as the PayPass/PayWave system - money will be debited automatically if you attach a bank card to the validator.
The same tariffs will apply on the MCC as in the metro.
- one trip – 50 rubles;
- one train with a Troika card – 32 rubles;
- 90 minutes – 60 rubles.
Will there be any benefits at the MCC?
All benefits valid in the metro will remain. More than three million capital beneficiaries will receive the right to free travel along the second ring, including:
- pensioners;
- disabled people and participants of the Great Patriotic War;
- participants in the defense of Moscow;
- home front workers;
- residents of besieged Leningrad;
- former prisoners of Nazi camps, prisons and ghettos;
- Heroes of the Soviet Union;
- Heroes of the Russian Federation;
- Heroes of Socialist Labor and full holders of the Orders of Glory and Labor Glory of three degrees;
- labor veterans;
- honorary donors (USSR, Russia or Moscow);
- one of the parents and children from large families;
- orphans and children left without parental care, and their guardians (trustees);
- schoolchildren and students.
What schedule will the MCC operate on?
The MCC will operate according to the same schedule as the metro – from 5:30 to 01:00.
During peak hours, trains will run at intervals of six minutes; at normal times, trains will have to wait 15 minutes.
How long will it take to travel along the MCC?
Time in which you can travel the entire ring: 84 minutes, including stops. Passengers will not have to go to the Circle Line of the metro to get, say, from Mezhdunarodnaya to Leninsky Prospekt or from Vladykino to Rokossovsky Boulevard. With the opening of the road, covering these sections will take 10-12 minutes instead of 28-39, respectively.
What trains will travel on the MCC?
They will carry passengers. It is planned to equip all rolling stock with energy-saving electrical equipment, video cameras, air conditioning, phone chargers and free Wi-Fi.
Each "Swallow" will have five carriages. The two head cars will have two toilets, which are adapted for people with limited mobility, and there will be bins at the exits of the train.
In the first months, passengers will open the doors of Lastochkas on the MCC on their own. For this purpose, special buttons will be installed on the door leaves outside and inside the car. They will only be active when the train is completely stopped. A nearby green indicator will indicate that the button is working.
Will trains indicate the travel time to the next station?
All MCC trains will have video screens on which they will broadcast a display counting down the travel time to the next station. Passengers will be able to see how many minutes are left before arriving at the platform. The monitors will also show the speed of the train and changes in the metro schedule.
The first two trains with video information will be launched immediately in September, all trains will be equipped with screens by next fall. It is planned to install four screens in each carriage.
Is the MCC adapted for people with limited mobility?
Yes. All platforms are equipped with tactile tiles for ease of movement for visually impaired passengers. Elevators and escalators are installed at 26 transport hubs, and special lifts are installed at 5 transport hubs.
Will it be possible to travel with a bicycle or a stroller?
Yes. You can carry it on MCC trains; there are fasteners in the second and fourth cars. The first carriage of the trains will have seats for people with limited mobility. There is floor navigation inside the trains, it will tell you where to go for cyclists and where for people with mobility restrictions.
This information is also indicated on the outside of the trains. And next to each MCC transport hub, bicycle parking and bike sharing stations will be installed.
Are the MCC and the Third Interchange Circuit the same thing?
No. Many people confuse the Moscow Central Circle with, but they are not the same thing. The main difference is that the MCC is a railway connection, and the TPK is a subway ring.
TPK will become a new large ring of the Moscow metro. Its total length will be 59.5 kilometers with 28 stations. The first section of the circuit will be opened this year, and the entire line is planned to be launched within the next four years.
When did the idea of creating the MCC appear?
Construction of the road in 1903 under the personal supervision of the Moscow Governor-General, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.
Five years later, the first train was launched on the new railway; in just one day, four trains passed along the line. And while freight transportation has fully justified itself, passenger transportation has not.
At first, Muscovites were embarrassed by the high price of tickets, and in the late 20s - early 30s, bus and tram services were improved in the areas where the ring road ran, the popularity of trains fell, and in 1934 passenger service had to be closed.
They wanted to renew them in the 60s, but the proposal was never implemented, and in the late 80s the railway decided to restore the historical buildings and run passenger trains.
The modern idea of turning the road into a highway with metro connections appeared in 2001. And reconstruction began under Sergei Sobyanin in 2012.
