Fast, convenient and green: passengers make 500,000 trips over two lines of regular river transport

Since the launch of the two regular river transport lines, they have been used for half a million trips. The 500,000 th passenger got a memento to celebrate the occasion: an electric riverboat model.

“Passengers have made 500,000 trips using electric boats launched in 2023 under Sergei Sobyanin’s personal control. The novel public transport mode has become extremely popular with both Muscovites and tourists. As regular lines and their infrastructure develop, more passengers will start using electric boats for their daily trips,” pointed out Maxim Liksutov, Deputy Moscow Mayor for Transport.

Electric boats are a unique project not only for our country, but for the whole world. There are nothing like them in any other country and won 4 awards, the project has been entered into the Russian Book of Records.

Electric boats course over the river round the year, even in winter as it can traverse ice sludge up to 20 cm thick thanks to its ice class. For emergencies, there are ice breakers that clear the path for the boats’ continuous operation.

The launch of electric boats was yet another step to improve the city’s environment by switching to innovation modes of transport. An electric boat makes zero emissions, while a diesel-powered motorboat, for instance, produces about 45 kilograms of toxic pollutants and two tons of carbon dioxide. That is on top of the river pollution risk in case of a fuel spill.

Piers are also environmentally-friendly; their construction does not harm the river ecosystem in any way. They do not make any emissions. Floating piers are kept in place by concrete anchors, so they can easily be moved if needed.

Another electric transport advantage is a shorter travel time. For example, as soon as the second line opened, residents of the Moscow south and southeast became able to cross the river two or three times faster than they could do using their cars or other public transport means. You can get from Pechatniki to Nagatinsky Zaton over the water in 12 minutes instead of 30–40 minutes it takes to do by car or above-ground public transport. The journey from Nagatinsky Zaton to the Southern River Station takes 17 minutes.

There are multiple ways of paying your fare: Wallet tickets, Troika travel cards, banking cards, or biometrics. All-in-One tickets for 90 or 365 days cover river trip fares. Children under 7 can travel for free if accompanied by an adult.

Key boat elements, including the motor, are made in Russia. They are built at a wharf near St. Petersburg, while floating piers are made near St. Petersburg and in Perm. A bulk carrier delivers them to Moscow.

The Moscow Government and the Vodokhod River Port Company signed a contract for 15 years. On top of building the boats and the piers, it obliges the contractor to provide operational support and maintenance.