Ten Lastochka trains with more comfortable cars to run on the MCC in February

Ten Lastochka trains with overhead bars, like in metro cars, and bicycle racks, will run on the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) starting in February. The cars will have more room due to a new seating configuration with two rows of two seats each (one of the rows currently has three seats). The first five upgraded trains are already running on the MCC.

“Russian Railways (RZD) plans to prepare five more new trains for the MCC in February. By the end of the year, the MCC’s rolling stock will consist entirely of upgraded cars,” said Maxim Liksutov, Deputy Mayor of Moscow and Head of the Department for Transport and Road Infrastructure Development.

He recalled that MCC development plans provide for increasing the length of trains from five to seven cars and reducing the time interval during peak hours.

“These measures, and the seating configuration with two rows of two seats, will allow us to double the number of passengers on MCC trains,” Mr Liksutov said.

The old Lastochka trains will be redistributed among commuter lines.

According to the Deputy Mayor, there is a high passenger flow at some parts of the MCC. The number of passengers using them increased considerably after some commuter train stations were combined with MCC stations.

Commuters can now change to six MCC stations:

— from the Okruzhnaya station on the Savyolovskaya line to the Okruzhnaya station of the MCC;

— from the Severyanin station on the Yaroslavskaya line to Rostokino on the MCC;

— from the Frezer station on the Kazanskaya line to Andronovka on the MCC;

— from Testovskaya on the Belorusskaya line to Shelepikha on the MCC;

— from Testovskaya on the Belorusskaya line to Delovoi Tsentr on the MCC;

— from the NATI station on the Leningradskaya line to Likhobory on the MCC.

The Moscow Central Circle (MCC) opened in September 2016. In 2017, 1.5 million passengers used the MCC, which is expected to carry some 90 million passengers this year.

Passengers can use the Unified, Troika travel cards and 90 Minute ticket and to pay for rides on the MCC, where all travel incentives offered to Muscovites are applicable. A ticket for one trip includes a free interchange within 90 minutes to the metro or monorail. Some 30 Lastochka fast trains with air conditioning, composting toilets and free Wi-Fi are running on the MCC.