The new 4th railway station opened on the Moscow Central Diameter D4
Moscow is preparing to launch a new above-ground metro line which is scheduled for 2023. On September 3, the modern suburban railway station Aprelevka was opened after the reconstruction on the future Moscow Central Diameter (MCD) D4. Aprelevka is the 4th reconstructed station on the future Moscow Central Diameter starting from the 2021. It has changed beyond the recognition. Not so long ago it was an old station without any comfort conditions.
One of the largest transport projects in the world – the MCD – is being implemented in the capital of Russia. Each day it attracts more passengers. The MCD stations open every month. Referring to the rail transport development rate, Moscow takes one of the leading positions in the world. Even during the summer months on holidays and vacation, rail transport is popular among Moscow citizens, residents of Moscow region and guests of the city.
The rail transport development is an important part in the megacity progress. Aprelevka is an insignificant city in the Moscow region. It is located 30 km southwest from the city centre. More and more citizens are moving through the city by public transport, as well as actively using bicycles and electric cars. However, rail transport is eco-friendly, so today all the world mega-cities are focused on its development.
Aprelevka station was built from the scratch: the outdated railway platforms with the old pedestrian crossing which caused discomfort to the passengers were replaced by the modern suburban railway station that meets all the Moscow transport standards. There is a passenger terminal with the cash desks, turnstiles and restrooms, a covered above-ground pedestrian crossing equipped with 5 elevators and 9 escalators. Also, the station includes 3 new platforms with full-length canopy protecting passengers from the fallout. The total area of the entire infrastructure is 9.5 thousand m2. There is also an intercept parking for private vehicles near the station.
«Aprelevka station is the 6th constructed station by the Moscow transport standards on the Kiev railway direction since 2020. By the end of the year, together with the Russian Railways we plan to open 5 more new and reconstructed stations including Aminevskaya and Minskaya which will form large transport hubs with convenient interchange to the metro and surface public transport. All these stations will become part of the future MCD-4. It is the hardest diameter, and its realization is under the Moscow Mayor control. To launch this new through-route, lots of work holds including the development of the passenger infrastructure, old and new railway sections», – said Maksim Liksutov, the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport.
Now the station is used by about 3 thousand people daily and it is predicted that the passenger traffic will increase by 2,5 times in 2025.
The perspective MCD 4 is the longest and hardest diameter. Additional tracks, connections between the different railways, updating and building new passenger infrastructure, that is all made for the 4thdiameter construction. This diameter will create a new railway line with the 86 km length. It will connect the southwest (Aprelevka) with the east (Zheleznodorozhnyi) through the central part of the capital and also it will connect 7 railway terminals.
The MCD consists of 60 stations with 21 interchanges. Paying for travelling becomes simpler. Passengers used to buy a separate ticket, and now there is a single payment system for all modes of public transport. The headway between trains does not exceed 7 minutes at peak hours. The launch of the future D3 is planned in 2023. It will connect the two Moscow districts – Zelenograd and Ramenskaya. The new Diameter will include 43 stations and its length will be 82 km. The MCD 4 is scheduled to be launched in 2023. There will be 18 transit stations with 35 options for interchanges to the metro, the MCC and other diameters. D5 launching is planned on the 2025.