Moscow Metro

Trains run under the ground in Moscow.

This system started a long time ago. It opened with one line in 1935. Now, there are many lines and 304 stations.

The stations look very pretty. They have lovely decorations inside. Many people visit to see them.

Trains come very often. Sometimes they arrive every 80 seconds. This helps many people move around. It is a very big and busy system. It is the longest in Europe.

The Moscow Metro is a huge train system in Russia.

It helps people travel around the city of Moscow. It also serves nearby cities like Reutov and Lyubertsy. The first line opened in 1935. It had only 13 stations back then.

Today, the system is much bigger. It has 304 stations and 15 lines. It is the longest metro in Europe. Most of the tracks run deep underground. One station, Park Pobedy, is among the deepest in the world.

Many people visit to see the beautiful art inside. The stations have lavish decorations.

Trains run very fast and often. In 2023, Moscow became the first city to have trains arrive every 80 seconds. This helps move millions of people each day. The system uses electricity to run. Most lines use a third rail to get power. One line uses overhead lines instead.

Some lines stay above ground. Most lines stay below the ground.

The Moscow Metro is a huge rapid transit system in Russia.

It helps millions of people travel through the capital city. It also connects to nearby cities like Reutov and Lyubertsy. The system is very famous for its beautiful art. Many people visit just to see the lavish interior decorations. It is the busiest metro system in Europe.

It is also the busiest system in the world outside of Asia.

Most of the tracks run deep underground.

The Park Pobedy station is one of the deepest in the world. The system uses electricity to move the trains. Most lines use a third rail to get 825 volts of power. One line, line 14, uses overhead lines with 3000 volts. Some lines stay above the ground instead of going under it. These include the Filyovskaya, Butovskaya, and Central Circle lines.

Building the metro was a very big job.

The first line opened in 1935 with 13 stations. In the beginning, it was called the L. M. Kaganovich Metro. Later, it was given the Order of Lenin in 1947. By 1955, its official name changed to the V. I. Lenin Metro.

This name is still used on many station signs today. The first logo featured a large letter M with the word "METRO."

Today, the network is massive and very organized.

It has 15 lines and 304 stations. The total length is 535.3 kilometers. Most lines run from the center out to the edges. There are also circle lines that help people travel around the middle. One is the Koltsevaya Line, which is line 5. The system is very fast at moving people. In February 2023, trains arrived as often as every 80 seconds.

Traveling on the metro is like moving through a giant map.

Each line has its own special color to help riders. For example, the Sokolnicheskaya line is red. The system stays open from 05:25 until 01:00 each day. Since 2014, riders can also use free Wi-Fi on all lines. It is a very important part of life in Moscow. You can see how the city grows by looking at the many stations.

The Moscow Metro is a massive rapid transit system serving the Russian capital and its neighboring cities.

It connects Moscow to nearby areas like Krasnogorsk, Reutov, Lyubertsy, and Kotelniki. This network is a vital part of the region's infrastructure. It currently stands as the longest metro system in Europe and the longest outside of China.

It is also the busiest metro system in Europe. Outside of Asia, it is the busiest system in the world. Many people visit the metro as a tourist attraction because of its lavish interior decorations.

The system operates using a spoke-hub distribution paradigm.

This means most rail lines run radially from the center of Moscow toward the outlying areas. To help passengers move between these radial lines, the system uses circle lines. The Koltsevaya Line, or line 5, forms a large circle around the city center. There are also newer, larger circles like the Moscow Central Circle (line 14) and the Bolshaya Koltsevaya (line 11). These lines serve the middle periphery of the metropolitan area. Most of the tracks are located underground, though some lines have elevated or at-grade sections.

The Filyovskaya, Butovskaya, and Central Circle lines are the three that are mostly at grade.

Powering these trains requires a steady supply of electricity. Most lines use an underrunning third rail that provides 825 volts of direct current (DC). However, line 14 is different because it connects to mainlines. It uses 3000V DC overhead lines instead of a third rail. The system is incredibly efficient at moving large numbers of people. During peak hours, the intervals between trains often do not exceed 90 seconds. In February 2023, Moscow became the first city in the world to reduce these intervals to just 80 seconds. The metro opens at 05:25 and all stations close at 01:00 for daily maintenance.

The history of the Moscow Metro began with early plans during the Russian Empire. These plans were delayed by World War I, the October Revolution, and the Russian Civil War. In 1923, the Moscow City Council formed the Underground Railway Design Office. By 1931, the decision to build the metro was made by the Communist Party. In 1933, the Soviet government approved a plan for 10 lines covering 100 kilometers.

The first line officially opened in 1935 with 13 stations.

This initial launch included the first logo, featuring a capital M and the text "МЕТРО."

Construction of the metro involved significant international cooperation. Soviet engineers consulted with specialists from the London Underground.

British architect Charles Holden and administrator Frank Pick served as advisors. The British influence led to the use of tunneling instead of the "cut-and-cover" method. They also recommended using escalators rather than lifts and helped design the rolling stock. This connection is visible in the design of the Gants Hill tube station in London. However, this cooperation ended in 1933 when British engineers from the Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Company were deported. The Soviet authorities accused them of espionage during a show trial.

Naming conventions for the metro have changed several times over the decades. The system was originally named the L. M. Kaganovich Metro. In 1947, it was renamed the Moscow Order of Lenin L. M. Kaganovich Metro. By 1955, the name was changed to the Moscow Order of Lenin and Order of the Red Banner of Labor V. I. Lenin Metro.

While many people call it the V. I. Lenin Metro, the full legal name remains. Although there were proposals to remove Lenin's name, it stays on many station name plates. This is because the name aligns with the official name of the company used since the Soviet era.

The scale of the modern network is immense. The system consists of 15 lines and 304 stations, covering a total route length of 535.3 kilometers. Each line is identified by a specific color and an alphanumeric index. For example, the Sokolnicheskaya line is identified by its color to help riders navigate. The average distance between stations is 1.78 kilometers. The shortest distance is only 0.53 kilometers between Delovoy Tsentr and Moskva-City. Conversely, the longest stretch is 4.56 kilometers between Krylatskoye and Strogino. These longer distances allow for a high cruising speed of 70 kilometers per hour. As of 2017, the system handled an average of 6.99 million passengers every day.