Sergei Sobyanin: about 100 modern Russian “Moscow-2020” trains to run on BCL

About 100 modern domestically produced “Moscow-2020” trains run on the Big Circle Line (BCL) of the Moscow Metro.

“Over time, we have created a mechanical engineering school, which can now compete with foreign train manufacturers. If not for such projects as the BCL, we would have neither the large-scale renovation of the Moscow Metro nor the trains,” Sergei Sobyanin says at the ribbon-cutting ceremony launching traffic on the whole BCL.

According to him, the new metro line construction and renewal of the rolling stock significantly boosted domestic mechanical engineering. Two thirds of trains have been replaced.

“When we talk import substitution, we have nothing to substitute here. These are completely domestic projects, which many other countries would like to get too. We can be proud of domestic metro trains and modern, comfortable, clean, and silent cars. Our mechanical engineers did a great job. However, this would not be the case without such a regular, steady, and long-term municipal order,” Sergei Sobyanin says to Russia-24 TV channel.

The trains meet high standards of Moscow transport on comfortable rides: very wide doors and intercar vestibules (1,6 meters), USB ports near all seats, big information displays, lighting matching the color of the line, and air sanitizing systems. Besides, the trains allow maintaining high frequency typical of the Moscow Metro, especially in the rush hour.

Zamoskvoretskoye electric engine house was repurposed for service, repair, and parking. Two more electric engine houses were built (Nizhegorodskoye and Aminyevskoye). Over 6,000 jobs were created in Moscow Metro to meet the needs of the BCL. The demand is high for the following professions: electric train driver, station operator, track assembler, electrical equipment service electrician, power equipment maintenance technician, workplace safety inspector, etc.

The biggest metro circle in the world

The Big Circle Line of the Moscow Metro is 70 kilometers long and has 31 stations with three electric engine houses. For comparison: the already existing Circle Line of the Moscow Metro is 3.5 times shorter: it is 19.4 kilometers long and has 12 stations. The BCL is the longest circle metro line in the world, surpassing the second circle line of the Beijing metro (57 kilometers long), the former record holder.

It connects the existing and future radial lines about 10 kilometers from the Circle Line. It will help decrease traffic on the first (stations inside the Circle line) and second (the Circle line itself) transfer lines of the Moscow Metro. The commissioning of the BCL has improved transport services for 15 million residents of Moscow and Moscow region.

Moreover, all passengers of the Moscow Metro will feel the effect of the BCL launch through reduced traffic at other Metro lines.

Today, you can transfer from the BCL to 20 other stations of 11 Metro lines, three stations of the Moscow Central Circle (MCC), eight stations of Moscow Central Diameters (MCD) Belorussko-Savyolovsky (Odintsovo-Lobnya) and Kursko-Rizhsky (Nakhabino-Podolsk), as well as 13 suburban train routes. The largest transport hubs on the Big Circle Line will be Delovoy Tsentr, Savyolovskaya, Nizhegorodskaya and others.