Sergei Sobyanin: MCC radically metamorphosed Moscow’s transport
The Moscow Central Circle (MCC) has marked its 10th anniversary, as shared by Sergei Sobyanin on his MAX channel.
“On September 10, 2016, together with President Vladimir Putin, we launched the MCC in the capital. It has radically transformed Moscow’s transport and the lives of people,” the Moscow Mayor writes.
Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Max channel
Previously, Moscow used to have an obsolete out-of-service railway line instead of the MCC with neglected industrial areas nearby. Today, thanks to the synergy between the municipal authorities and Russian Railways (RZD), the Moscow Central Circle comprises 54 kilometers of modernized railway tracks and 31 cozy intra-city commuter terminals. It also features a barrier-free environment and the shared payment system, providing passengers with free transfer options to the metro and the Moscow Central Diameters (MCDs). The seamless integration and the shortest train intervals have in fact transformed the MCC into a new metro line.
“The surface metro has connected residential neighborhoods with business centers and the new Vostochny terminal, having shortened travel times to parks and stadiums. It has improved transport accessibility in 34 districts across Moscow, which are home to more than three million people,” the Moscow Mayor writes.
In addition, getting to the airports has become easier; for instance, from Verkhnie Kotly MCC station, you can transfer to an Aeroexpress train bound for Domodedovo Airport, while at Okruzhnaya or Moskva-City you can take a train to Sheremetyevo Airport.
Every day, 600,000 residents of the capital travel along the Moscow Central Circle, with more than 1.4 billion rides over the past decade.
It boasts the state-of-the-art operational format and engineering infrastructure, the best in Russia’s railway industry, establishing a new standard for passenger services. MCC stations are in fact intra-city commuter terminals with every detail elaborated to the highest degree in order to ensure the excellent passenger experience.
The Moscow Central Circle is serviced by Lastochka trains that run at four-minute intervals during rush hours and include “silent” cars. They feature restrooms, spaces for bicycles and baby strollers, not to mention climate control systems.
All crossings over the tracks have been made either underground or overhead to enable high safety.
Moreover, the MCC has given an impetus to development of social and economic infrastructure in once-abandoned areas as the surface metro stations are getting nearer residential buildings, business centers, parks, and social facilities. In addition, the Moscow Central Circle served as the prototype for the large-scale project of the Moscow Central Diameters. Therefore, the MCC is not merely a means of transport, but a novel standard for passenger experience in the city.
