Electric vessels - pioneers of Moscow water transport
After 16 years of absence Moscow will return to residentsthe once beloved water transport. It first appeared in 1923.In 1960s it was in great demand. In 2006 regular water transport stopped working at all – only pleasure trips remained.
The Mayor of Moscow supports the implementation of the project and it will be launched in stages. At first step river trams will start shuttles regularly in 2022, and their number on cruise will gradually increase.
Moscow is targeted to create convenient, predictable and safe water transport. It will allow 1.5 million residents to move around Moscow much faster in 2022 already. The carrying capacity of each route will be 15-16 thousand passengers per day - this will be another important element of Moscow transport and a convenient alternative to a personal car.
Just today, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin inspected the model of the future Moscow passenger electric ship – the first in the world that works all year round, even in winter. City Government wants everyone to be able to see the future electric vessel by themselves and give a feedback.
Future river vessels will be 100% eco-friendly, without harmful emissions. Same as city electric buses – this is very important for the Moscow water area and the health of all residents. The Moscow vessels will also be spacious: about 22 meters in length, each with 42 seats, two of which are for people with disabilities. The cabin will have information screens, USB charging, Wi-Fi, places for scooters and bicycles, as well as comfortable seats and tables for working with a laptop. There will be panoramic windowsalso.
One of mandatory terms for the supplier is a service contract. This means that repair and maintenance remains with the manufacturer 24/7 for 15 years. It will giveconfidence that the manufacturer fully understands its responsibility and will produce reliable transport for the daily transportation of Muscovites and guests of the city.
All terms and requirements will be spelled out in the technical specification for the production of electric vessels. Moscow plans to launch the competition in September of this year.
New water transport will enter the routes in stages, starting from June 2022 – as it will be the real demand from passengers.
Due to the growth of demand, the river fleet will also grow and allow to shorten the intervals. In general, main goal is to make Moscow water transport as flexible as possible in order to adjust it to the interests of residents.
Residents of coastal areas will be primary passengers of water transport within walking distance, which will reduce the travel time.
For example, the journey from Fili Park to VerkhniyeMnevniki pier by bus will take 65 minutes, and by water -only 13.5 minutes, i.e. 5 times faster. Or from Pechatniki to the Kolomenskaya embankment from one bank to the other can be reached in 3 minutes – the bus trip will take more than an hour.
Passengers will be able to pay for the trip with a Troika card, a bank card or using a biometric system. Single travel tickets holders will be able to travel on the ship at no additional cost.
The most difficult thing is a development of berths. Their careful reconstruction and improvement of their availability will be required. For example, the transfer of surfacetransport stops or the creation of new pedestrian routes arenecessary for the maximum convenience of future passengers. Some of the berths are equipped with charging stations for fast charging of vessels. Testing first charging spot at one of the berths of route No. 1 is already planned.
Professional team is working on all these tasks within the Transport Complex by now. Residents of the city can also join to this important project – everyone can read all the details about future water transport on the website, sharesuggestions and ideas there.
