Weather forecasts plus transport updates: All you need to know on MCD media screens

Media screens will be installed on Ivolga trains running along Moscow Central Diameters (MCDs).They will show transport updates, MCD and other transport systems, weather forecasts, announcements of upcoming city events, and the latest news.

All screens, four inside each carriage, will function soundlessly but subtitles will be supplied.

“We have analysed passengers’ response to screens in the metro, and we realise that this service will also be much appreciated aboard the MCD. In May 2018, the first screens were installed aboard metro trains. They show useful information, including advice on how to use the city’s transport systems and also give advice on the various types of travel cards available. This kind of data makes it easier for passengers to navigate the city’s public-transit system. Over 8,700 screens have been put inside the metro carriages,” Deputy Moscow Mayor and Head of the Transport and Road Infrastructure Development Maxim Liksutov noted.

The Russian-designed Ivolga trains are assembled at the Tver Railway Carriages Plant. Each train is made up of six or seven carriages, and the share of Russian components exceeds 90 percent. The new trains have pneumatic-suspension technology guaranteeing that passengers will not be bumped up and down but will be able to travel smoothly. These trains also have low noise-and-vibration levels. The hand railing won’t be cold to touch and there will be seating along each side of the carriages. Plenty of luggage racks will tower above the seats.

The trains will have a comfortable micro-climate as well as a disinfection system. They are fitted with bicycle racks and Wi Fi spots. Each train has 16 USB outlets for recharging mobile devices. Ticker screens inside each carriage will show the routes, the name of the next station or also platform information.

Visually impaired passengers are expected to find it easy to get around as there are plenty of signs in Braille and special places for wheelchair users. Doorways have also been widened to 140 cm and are located in the carriages’ central sections, making it easier to board and exit trains. Ivolga trains will receive automatic passenger counting systems for the first time.

Unlike other models, each Ivolga train costs 20 percent less to operate during its entire service life. Special equipment helps reduce electricity consumption by 30 percent.

The first two diameters, MCD-1 Odintsovo-Lobnya and MCD-2 Nakhabino-Podolsk, will start operating in late 2019 or early 2020. Three other MCD routes are currently being contemplated. Just like the Moscow Metro, all MCD routes will be open from 5.30 am until 1 am. Rush hour   intervals will not exceed five to six minutes. The ticket system of MCD routes will be integrated with that of other transport systems. Passengers will be able to pay for their fares with Troika cards.

MCD routes will link various lines of the Moscow Railway, metro lines and the  MCC. Passengers, including those from cities near Moscow, will be able to cross the capital in 40 minutes.