Rooftop bus stops, online schedule and convenient services: how Moscow bus stations are developing

Dilapidated buildings, hustle and bustle, slurred announcements, open-air pickup points, uncomfortable and cramped waiting areas-this is how Moscow bus stations used to look. They are gradually becoming convenient bus stations: modern buildings with comfortable waiting rooms, free Wi-Fi, baggage rooms, baby care rooms and vending machines. Now before getting on the bus, passengers can charge their phones and drink coffee.

Mos.ru tells about the transformation of Moscow bus stations.

Journey starts from the station

There are four bus stations (Central, Salaryevo, South Gate and North Gate) and two bus terminals (Orekhovo and Varshavskaya) in Moscow. Every day, an average of 8,500 people use them.

The construction and reconstruction of the bus stations started several years ago. The Central bus station was built in 1971. In 2020, it was reopened to passengers after being reconstructed. The rest of the stations were built recently: in 2015, South Gate opened, in 2018-North Gate and in 2019-Salaryevo. Moreover, all of them have reached uniform passenger service standards.

Previously, the stations did not provide much comfort for passengers, and intercity trips used to be associated with hustle and bustle and lugging around heavy suitcases. The waiting rooms were cramped and uncomfortable, and the building condition left a lot to be desired.

When modernizing bus stations, we focused on the quality of services and airport security, for example, today passenger baggage is also scanned there. Travelling with pets is described in detail: for example, travelers can put a carrier right on their lap or take back seats if they have a large dog.

The bus station infrastructure is also developing. Instead of benches, waiting rooms have padded seats. If there is still a lot of time before the departure, passengers can leave their baggage in the baggage room, have a snack in a cafe or go for a walk. Visitors can buy drinks and snacks using vending machines.

Bus stations also have mobile charging stations. Baby care rooms are available to those traveling with children. To find out a bus schedule, visitors can use an online service: it has been significantly redesigned to make it easier for passengers to navigate. Passengers can immediately see the desired destination, the departure time and the number of available seats.

Lines used to stretch at the ticket office, despite the fact that a railway or bus station is a place where many people are in a hurry. Thanks to the new service, even before contacting a specialist, passengers can find out, for example, that there are no available tickets for the next bus, but there are still 15 seats left for the bus that departs in an hour. They can make a specific request and buy a ticket in one or two minutes.

The bus stations have lounges and a medical room for bus drivers to check their health before the departure.

Moscow metro, navigation and other basic transport attributes

The renovated bus stations have become part of the Moscow transport system. Their navigation meets the uniform standards of the Moscow transport complex. When transferring from the metro to the bus, for example, a passenger can quickly find out how to get to the desired platform. Since 2021, free Wi-Fi has been available at all the bus stations and terminals.

This year, a new unified route plan has been developed for the bus stations to help passengers find out information about intercity bus routes and clarify how to get to the Golden Ring cities or to seaside resorts. The maps show key routes, tourist attractions and a bus station scheme. The first maps have already appeared at the Central bus station. In the near future, they are to be installed at all the bus stations.

Along with the passengers of the metro, Moscow Central Circle, Moscow Central Diameters and ground transport, bus passengers do not have to download another mobile app or search for the right website to buy a ticket for an international or intercity bus. They can use Moscow Metro, one of the key city mobile apps.

After payment, an electronic ticket appears in a passenger’s account, and passengers can download or open it in the app when boarding the bus. There are other ways to pay for your trip: on the Moscow metro website, at special ticket offices located at the Paveletskaya, Salaryevo and Orekhovo metro stations, at bus stations and terminals. In all these cases, passengers can buy a return ticket.

Bus stations are being adapted for passengers with reduced mobility. They are provided with special ticket offices, ramps, elevators, Braille signs and sound beacons for visually impaired people. The Passenger Mobility Center, which helps people with disabilities arrive at their destination; it also operates at the bus stations. The passengers can call an inspector, who will assist them when getting to the desired platform or boarding the bus, through the Moscow Metro service, the metro website, Alexander’s chat bot or other services.

Rooftop bus stops and the first bus station of the Troitsky and Novomoskovsky Administrative Districts

The opening of the Central bus station has become one of the major urban transport events in 2020. It is one of the largest bus stations not only in Moscow and other Russian cities but throughout Europe. It is part of the Shchyolkovsky transport hub, along with the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya metro line station of the same name and ground transport stops. Passengers can travel to Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Cheboksary and Nizhny Novgorod from the station. In more than two years, two million people have used the Central bus station.

The first comfortable lounge appeared there. In addition to the standard service, visitors can get free newspapers and water or order food in a cafe using a waiter call button. It is open to everyone for an extra fee (RUB 350). In addition, the Central bus station is the first bus station in Moscow with a rooftop bus stop. Buses depart from the sixth floor along a 200-meter overpass.

South Gate is the first bus station in Moscow that meets modern requirements. It was built in 2015 between the most popular intercity bus routes, M-4 Don and M-5 Ural, on the 19 th kilometer of the Moscow Ring Road. Buses depart from the station to 11 Russian cities and to Belarus.

The North Gate bus station became part of the Khovrino transport hub, along with the Khovrino metro station, the Saint Petersburg railway platform and ground transport stops. Travelers can go to Velikiye Luki, Pskov, Smolensk, Yaroslavl and St. Petersburg from the station.

Salaryevo is the first modern bus station in the Troitsky and Novomoskovsky districts. It also turned out to be the most popular with passengers: about 3,000 people use it daily. The bus station is part of the transport hub of the same name. Buses departing from the Salaryevo bus station can take Muscovites to 222 settlements in Russia, including Volgograd, Astrakhan and Saratov, and neighboring countries.

Over 2,000 km of routes and Caucasus journey

Passengers can reach 418 intercity and international destinations from the Moscow bus stations. The route to Svetlograd (Stavropol Krai) is the longest route. It runs through Stavropol and the village of Kurskaya and is more than 2,000 kilometers. The journey from the Salaryevo bus station to Svetlograd will take about a day and a half: it is perfect for experienced travelers who are not afraid of long distances.

The route to Derbent (Republic of Dagestan) runs through very picturesque places. Those who get there by plane miss the opportunity to admire the mountain scenery on the way. Buses from the Salaryevo bus station also run there. You can also get to Uryupinsk (Volgograd Region) from the station. It is the only way to get to this city from Moscow without transfers.