Sergei Sobyanin highlights 14 suburban MCD terminals to be launched in 2023

In 2023, the capital will get 14 new or reconstructed suburban terminals, Sergei Sobyanin told on his blog.

“On March 2, together with Oleg Belozyorov, CEO of Russian Railways, we opened D4 Ochakovo suburban terminal (Kaluga direction of the Moscow Railways); this is one of the 14 terminals to be built or renovated in 2023. Passenger infrastructure upgrade is crucial for creating new ground metro diameters, such as Leningradsko-Kazansky D3 and Kaluzhsko-Nizhegorodsky D4. As for the existing D1 and D2 diameters, a few more stations need some revamp, too,” noted the Mayor.

Besides Ochakovo, they have also launched Lesnoy Gorodok and Maryina Roshcha stations in 2023. The former is located in Moscow region and will be part of the future Fourth Moscow Central Diameter (D4) in the Kaluga direction of the Moscow railways. It has been reconstructed to get two new platforms and an underground lobby for passengers to pass to trains and have safe walks across the railway tracks.

Built from scratch on the Alekseevskaya connector line, Maryina Roshcha was opened in early March 2023.  This is not just a station, but an actual interchange hub connecting D2, Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya metro line, Big Circle Line and ground routes, with an island platform for D4 trains to be ready this fall.

Reconstruction of Belorussky Rail Terminal and new routes of Kursky Rail Terminal

The capital is strenuously building and revamping 11 future MCD suburban terminals.

“For the first stage in reconstruction of D2/D4 Three Stations Square station, we have built a new fully-canopied platform and the first portion of the passenger lobby with an elevator, escalators, cash desks, and turnstiles; the second stage of reconstruction is to end soon. Transfer time to other modes of transport will be about three minutes,” highlighted Sergei Sobyanin.

To prepare for opening D4 traffic, they are building new platforms at Belorussky Rail Terminal, with the old pedestrian bridge to be replaced with an underpass with elevators and escalators. The station’s capacity is expected to grow significantly after the reconstruction, thus enabling better services for growing passenger flows.

Another large transfer hub in the capital is Kursky Rail Terminal. Every day it is used by up to 70,000 passengers arriving from the suburbs; indeed, it receives D2 trains, commuter trains running along the Kursky, Rizhsky and Gorky routes, not to mention Lastochka trains going to Nizhny Novgorod and Ivanov. It will get a stop for commuters and D4 trains this year, while passenger flow is expected to increase up to 156,000 people by 2030.

Builders are also arranging new platforms, revamping the existing ones and making three underground walkways in order to improve passenger experience at Kursky Rail Terminal. From the side of the Arma business center, they are building a new lobby and reconstructing the connector underground tunnel with elevators and escalators for passengers.

The transfer to Koltsevaya (Circle) and Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya metro lines will become more convenient, too, as they plan to arrange an underground interchange to Chkalovskaya station of the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line.

New D4 stations

Some more stations for the future D4 are to open in 2023, these including Olgino suburban terminal between Zheleznodorozhnaya and Kuchino stations in Moscow Region in addition to Poklonnaya, which is being built from scratch to be used instead of the old Moscow-Sortirovochnaya-Kievskaya station located 600 meters westward. The new station will be part of the hub with interchanges to the Solntsevskaya and Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya metro lines.

“The Poklonnaya terminal for commuter trains will improve transport services for more than 78,000 passengers. And those who live in Dorogomilovo and Setun can simply reach the new station on foot, whereas now they have to get there by bus. They will also have a convenient and safe pedestrian crossing across the railway tracks separating Ramenki and Dorogomilovo. In addition, Poklonnaya will set up a new route to the Poklonnaya Gora memorial,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

Another prospective station is Kutuzovskaya, being built on a new connecting railway branch line; it will have two fully-canopied platforms and a ground lobby with ticket desks, six escalators and three elevators.

Meanwhile, Kutuzovskaya will feature a comfortable seamless space with modern infrastructure for passengers to choose from interchange options for the Moscow Central Circle (MCC), metro and ground transport, this being vital to both local residents and those who work at nearby offices.

The station will set up a pedestrian connection with Kulnev Street, so locals will no longer have to make a detour along Kutuzovsky Prospekt and cross the road through the underground walkway. Transport infrastructure will be integrated into existing city design, so people can get into them without going outside.

In the Presnensky district, there will be D4 Testovskaya station that will improve transport accessibility of Moscow City, the capital’s largest business district, and offer a panoramic view of skyscrapers and the Moskva River. Passengers will use Testovskaya to change to Mezhdunarodnaya metro station or MCC‘s Delovoy Tsentr; it will also an interchange to D1 Testovskaya station in the future.

Prospective D1 and D3

A D3 key project is reconstruction of Kryukovo suburban terminal in Zelenograd, which serves as the D3 terminal station. This is a modern three-level transport hub based on an exclusive design and comprising a passenger terminal with ticket desks, turnstiles and toilet rooms in addition to three fully-canopied island platforms to protect passengers from rain, snow and sun. Another feature is a wide gently sloping transit underground walkway that will replace the old narrow tunnel.

Bus terminals will be arranged there on the existing flyover for the first time in Moscow; there will be a ‘rotary’ bus interchange on one side of the railway tracks, in other words, all buses will arrive directly to the entrance to board or deboard passengers, that happening for the first time, too.

D1 will get another three stations, including Timiryazevskaya. After the reconstruction, there will be an ultra-modern station instead the old one, with two fully-canopied platforms, a tunnel for passengers to change to the metro station and an underground lobby with cash desks, turnstiles, elevators and escalators. It will be more convenient to transfer to the gray metro line, and 150,000 residents of the Timiryazevsky and Butyrsky districts will certainly enjoy the benefits of the renovated station.

Builders are also arranging an interchange hub in Lianozovo to connect metro/MCD stations and ground transport routes, while the existing stop is to be moved 350 meters closer to the future metro station of the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line.

“The northern lobby will connect the terminal and the metro station, and passengers will be able to walk to Lianozovsky Proyezd in just a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, the southern lobby will link Lianozovsky Proyezd and Dubninskaya Street. Trains will be accessible through underground walkways equipped with escalators and elevators. Thanks to Lianozovo station, many residents of Lianozovo, Zapandnoye Degunino and Dmitrovsky districts will enjoy alternative travel routes around the city,” said the Moscow Mayor.

In the north of Moscow, there will be the 26th D1 station called Petrovsko-Razumovskaya to be integrated into a large transport hub, connecting D1 and D3, stations of Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya/Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya metro lines and ground transport stops.

Those who live in the nearby neighborhoods will enjoy lots of new routes; for example, they will be able to reach Moscow City, Belorussky Rail Terminal or Skolkovo without changes.

Indeed, it will be a passenger-oriented station as the warm terminal will be equipped with turnstiles and ticket offices convenient for PRM passengers, to say nothing of elevators and escalators, with a rainproof canopy for passengers to wait for their trains.  The work progresses without traffic interruptions, so D1 passengers can watch the construction from their train windows.

“The new ground metro stations will provide comfort and safety to passengers, improve transport accessibility and boost growth of adjacent neighborhoods,” added the Moscow Mayor.