The youngest Russian transport project – the Moscow Central Diameters celebrates its 2nd anniversary
On November 21, one of the most ambitious Russian projects – the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD) celebrates its second anniversary. During these years there was carried out a huge work in existing and prospective diameters development. Since 2019, the first two diameters have transported 309 million passengers, it is twice as much as the entire population of Russia.
«The MCD is a project that made us rethink the functioning ofthe suburban railway transport in Moscow and region. The above-ground metro lines have created completely different opportunities for million people and the Moscow agglomeration in general. The overall passenger flow growth, the road expenses redaction, the highways and the metro unload, a powerful impetus for the development of once forgotten and unattractive territories let us say that we are on the right way. So, we’ll continue to develop the existing diameters and bring the launch of the others closer», – noted MaksimLiksutov, the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport.
The routes of the already existing diameters (MCD 1 and MCD 2) were laid down long before the MCD launch. They were used by the city electric train. Old trains, complicated navigation, inconvenient timetable and no integration into the entire urban transport system. After the launch in 2019, the MCD lines connect different cities of the Moscow region and go through the capital central zone. Due to the single ticketing system and the creation of transport hubs, diameters are integrated into the urban transport system, creating a seamless space between metro, the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) and the suburban railway lines.
For the first year MCD transported 141 million passengers and for the second – 168 million passengers. Nowadays diameters transport more than 572 thousand passengers daily, it is 17% more comparing to the launch period. The passenger maximum number was transported in the middle of the autumn 2020 – 657 thousand passengers daily. By comparison, a similar mode of transport in Berlin (S-Bahn) reached 500,000 passengers a day only almost 20 years after its opening. Due to the diameterslaunch the transport access has improved for more than 4 million people, 45 Moscow districts and 7 city districts of Moscow region. The adjacent highways were unloaded up to 9%, and the metro was unloaded up to 12%. In 2 years, passengers have made 309 million trips and 93 million free interchanges between the MCD, the MCC and the metro, thereby saving 6.2 billion rubles.
A single ticket system operates on the MCD, as well as on all public transport in Moscow. Due to it, passengers began to save money on travel: setting a new tariff, free interchanges during90 minutes at the interchange metro stations. Moscow residents saved up to 50% and residents of the Moscow region up to 75%. Passengers can also pay with a bank card or by Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Mir Pay and others. It is a unique system: it selects the most advantageous fare, based on how often, in which zones and by which transport does a passenger travel. In Europe, only two cities can do this - Moscow and London.
Face Pay is in the development and will work for the MCC, the MCD and above-ground transport.
According to Maksim Liksutov, the creation of the large transport hubs connecting different modes of transport is an important component of the large cities. Due to the new interchanges, residents and visitors can build flexible routes according to their needs, so that their travel will be time-saving. Nowadays on the existing and prospective diameters stations are being built and reconstructed (22 stations since 2019) which are becoming urban and suburban mini railway stations. There are placed turnstiles, cash registers, restrooms, elevators and full-length canopies on the stations. Also, there are being built hubs with the convenient interchanges to the different modes of the transport. They will allow passengers to build new, fast and convenient routes. For example, the largest hub in the Northwest of Moscow – the Schukinskaya MCD-2, it has improved thetransport access to over 200 thousand people.
On the Moscow Central Diameters operates one of the youngest train fleet parks in Europe. It was already completely updated in the first year. The average age of the trains – about 3 years(«Ivolga», «Lastochka» (Siemens Desiro) and Stadler Kiss). The headway in peak hours is 5-7 minutes.
«By the end of 2021 it is planned to open three more stations: Minskaya, Aminievskaya and Matveyevskaya. There is a lot ofwork to be done next year, both on existing and prospective diameters. It is planned to construct new stations and complete the reconstruction of another 10. The construction of the large transport hubs and the development of the most difficult sections of the capital will be continued. The development of the new railway sections for the MCD-3 and the MCD-4 is continuing» – noted Maksim Liksutov, the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport.
The third diameter is planned for late 2022 – early 2023. It connects the Northwest (Zelenograd) with the Southeast (Ramenskaya). It will be 85 km long and will include 42 stations. From the 14 MCD-3 stations it will be possible to make an interchange to the metro, the MCC and to the radial lines of the railway. Transport accessibility will be improved for more than 20 Moscow districts and 4 Moscow region cities.
The MCD-4 is scheduled to be launched in 2023. It will connect the south-west (Aprelevka) with the east (Zheleznodorozhny) including the largest railway stations of the capital - Belarusian, Savelovsky, Riga, Kazan, Leningrad, Yaroslavl and Kursk. Its length will be 86 km. There will be 39 stations, where 18 will bewith the interchange to the metro and the MCC stations.
The MCD is an above-ground metro which is considered an analogue of the Crossrail in London and the RER in Paris. It allows passengers to travel from the suburbs to the city center and back. Passengers can interchange to the metro, the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) and the surface transport. The MCD consists of 60 stations with 21 interchanges. The MCD-1 was launched in 2019, its length is 52 km. It includes 25 stations, 9 of them have an interchange to the metro. The MCD-2 was also launched in 2019. Its length is 80 km, including 35 stations, 12of them have an interchange to the metro.
Key facts:
1. The MCD have transported 309 million passengers over 2years.
2. In the first year, the MCD carried 141 million passengers.
3. In the second year, the MCD carried 168 million passengers.
4. Daily traffic has increased by 17% since the MCD launch - 572,000 passengers per day.
5. The maximum number of passengers carried by the MCD was in the mid-autumn 2020 – 657,000 passengers per day.
6. Up to 9% of highways were unloaded near the MCD.
7. The MMetro was unloaded up to 12%.
8. In 2 years, passengers made 309 million trips and 93 million free interchanges between the MCC, the MCD and metro, thereby saving 6.2 billion rubles.
9. Thanks to the single ticket system, Moscow residents saved up to 50%, Moscow region residents – up to 75%.
10. Average age of the trains on the MCD - about 3 years.
11. The headway of trains on the MCD at peak hours is 5-7 minutes.
The Moscow Transport Twitter account