The Moscow Central Circle (MCC) is an abbreviation that has been in use quite recently; the ring itself is used even less for passengers. On metro maps, the ring is indicated by line 14, although it looks a little different.
Metro or train
Circular railway, Small ring of the Moscow railway, Moscow ring railway, Moscow central ring - all these definitions in one form or another refer to the same object.
The first train at the Luzhniki station of the Moscow Central Circle. Photo: website/Andrey Perechitsky
In the new name - MCC - the mention of the railway has been removed, on metro maps it is indicated as line 14, transfers with the metro are free (even in the "metro - MCC - metro" option), a separate page for the MCC has been created on the metro website... So everything can be... Is the MCC a metro?
The MCC infrastructure itself (tracks, stations, etc.) belongs to Russian Railways. The ring is physically connected to other sections of the railways; the use of the ring for freight traffic is not canceled and is quite possible. The rolling stock, "Swallows", has been traveling on other sections of Russian railways for several years now. At MCC stations you can find workers in gray Russian Railways uniforms, information boards and part of the navigation at the MCC stations themselves - according to the brand book and Russian Railways standards. Even the turnstiles are like those at many suburban stations (albeit equipped with metro validators). So, is the MCC an electric train?
Navigation in the transition between platforms of the Khoroshevo station of the Moscow Central Circle. Photo: website/Andrey Perechitsky
If we approach the issue formally, then the MCC is a real railway, but in mass consciousness the use of the railway for movement within one city is still of little use, besides, the MCC is integrated mainly with the metro, and the ring is a city transport, and not a suburban one, which includes the green electric trains familiar to citizens. This is also why navigation and tariffs are designed in such a way that the passenger feels that he is on the 14th metro line, although in fact the MCC, of course, is not a metro.
Turnstiles at Luzhniki station of the Moscow Central Circle. Photo: website/Andrey Perechitsky
In relation to the MCC, it is appropriate to use the term “urban train” - a type of transport in Russia that is not very common.
Abroad, this type of transport is widespread and quite popular. For example, in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland there is S-bahn, which occupies an intermediate position between urban public transport and classic commuter trains.
The MCC itself breaks the mold of many definitions, and similar debates have been going on on thematic forums for many months - “What is the new ring anyway?”
MCC, metro, monorail and ground transport– all these are elements of the city’s unified transport system, so asking the question “is the MCC part of the metro?” not entirely true. To the question “Does the MCC belong to the Moscow transport system?”, it is certainly correct and correct to answer “Yes”, as well as to a similar question regarding the metro or monorail.
The Lastochka train arrives at the Khoroshevo station of the Moscow Central Circle. Photo: website/Andrey Perechitsky
The main flow to the MCC should still be a transfer from the metro; there will be fewer “pure” independent trips around the ring. At the same time, such stations as Sorge (formerly Novopeschanaya), Krymskaya (formerly Sevastopolsky Prospekt), Streshnevo (formerly Volokolamskaya) have created (in the case of Sorge, they will create) new transport hubs. Residents of nearby houses and those who work nearby will definitely appreciate the appearance of these stations. Following this, new travel routes will appear.
Due to its specifics, part of the MCC route passes through industrial zones. But is this really important, because a new transport corridor has appeared in the city. And industrial zones will not always flash through the Swallow window. Novodevichy Convent, Moscow City, Losiny Island, Moscow River - the landscapes are more than diverse.
View from the MCC train window. Photo: website/Andrey Perechitsky
From the point of view of formal definitions, the MCC is more of an electric train than a metro; in fact, it is a new full-fledged element of the transport system. How relevant it is is a question for each individual passenger. In any case, new connections that reduce travel time are always good, especially for a metropolis like Moscow.
Impressions of the first passengers
Andrey Perechitsky
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While we were driving around the Caucasus, Transcaucasia and Iran, a miracle happened in Moscow - traffic and all stations of the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) opened. Yesterday we drove a full circle on a new type of transport and were shocked to the core. Below the cut, read why the MCC is a real miracle.
We decided to start the inspection of the new type of transport from the station closest to us, Baltiyskaya, which can be reached by walking down the street from the Voikovskaya metro station.
We left the metro, followed the signs and crossed the road and got a little lost.
We look back, are we going exactly where we need to go? In Moscow, as a rule, there are pronounced flows of people moving to the stations, but here, it seems, people are rushing to go shopping at Metropolis :) As you like christmas tree at the shopping center?
It’s good that Pasha knows where the railway runs. We go straight without signs. By the way, it turns out later that the main path lies through the shopping center.
We reached a pedestrian bridge across the road. To get to the bridge, you need to enter the shopping center through one of the entrances, where a sign greets us.
This is not an exit from the shopping center, it is the most popular entrance to the bridge leading to the MCC station. There is another one, but it is located inconspicuously and almost no one walks through it. We don’t know how we managed to lobby for this, but the traffic flow of the shopping center should now increase significantly.
It's nice to walk along a new clean passage.
We go through the turnstiles to the station, holding the Troika card that we used in the metro to the reader. Our trip counts as a transfer, and the trip to the MCC will be free.
The Moscow railway ring has existed since the 19th century, and until the 30s of the 20th century it was used not only for freight, but also for passenger transportation. But then the metro appeared, and the project was abandoned. In those years, the word “metro” was still masculine.
Look at the photo, a girl with bare legs at minus 10. Where are the parents looking? Previously, they only took off their hats when leaving the house, but now they also roll up their pants.
While Pasha was looking at the diagram in the center of the station, a woman approached and tried to understand how far one of the MCC stations in the south was from the metro station.
The long-awaited Swallow is a Siemens train, created by the Germans at the request of Russian Railways and adapted to the requirements of our roads. Russians have been riding Lastochka for a long time in Sochi, in Nizhny Novgorod and since last year to Tver.
According to our observations, quite a lot of people use the MCC even in the middle of a weekday.
It’s great that we managed to purchase such modern trains for urban public transport. The train is warm, light, Wi-Fi works, it’s clean and comfortable to sit in, and there’s even a toilet in the first and last cars. Well, what a miracle!
Lastochka is a class of urban transport comfort never seen before in Russia. The carriage has excellent sound insulation, which adds a “luxury” feel. The train doesn't move, it flies!
We drive mainly through industrial zones.
And this station is named after the street of the same name in the west of Moscow.
The display indicates not only the time and temperature, but also the speed of movement. In some sections, the Swallow accelerates to 100 km/h. We choose the MCC, and you stand there :)
There is even a shelf like this. What would it be used for? :)
We pass Moscow City and the Moscow River. Correct endings? :)
The design of the stations is mostly standard, all have a scoreboard and a rain roof. Of the minuses: you have to wait for the train on the street, and the interval varies from about ten minutes in the early morning, afternoon and late evening to three minutes during peak hours. Ten minutes in the cold is not everyone's cup of tea.
Metro map at the station from Lebedev Studio.
Approximately half of the MCC stations have surface passages to the nearest metro or railway stations. At Baltiyskaya, where we boarded, the transfer took about ten minutes. The transition from Luzhniki station to Sportivnaya metro station will take only a couple of minutes, passengers are in luck here.
The towers of the “Business Center” are visible in the distance in the haze. There is also a ring station there.
The train has arrived, let's move on. The first and last carriages are equipped with places for transporting bicycles. We’ve already figured out how we’ll go for a ride in Moscow parks in the summer: Izmailovsky Park and Sokolniki are located in pleasant proximity to the MCC stations.
In the area of the ZIL plant, a grand demolition of houses and the construction of new real estate are taking place.
It's very unusual to see public transport Moscow toilet.
The inside of the toilet is no longer as fresh as it used to be, but it’s tolerable for now. We hope that the trains and stations will be constantly looked after, otherwise it will all get clogged up very quickly, literally and figuratively.
Toilet selfie from Lena. Our first report from Zlatoglavaya, by the way. We are thinking about what else to photograph in Moscow, write your recommendations.
We arrived at the Izmailovo station, decided to take a break and walk into the city. We leave the doors of the ring station.
Tickets can be bought from vending machines, just like in the subway.
We find ourselves in the station building, where there will soon be a shopping center.
Now the stores are closed, and this may continue for quite some time. Russian Railways has a talent for long-term construction; at the Leningradsky station, the installation of new pavilions takes years.
The width of the escalator is such that only one person can fit in the width; you cannot run quickly on the left.
Entrance to the transition.
Russian realities: the hacks designed the passage in such a way that it would be impossible to open the outer door.
It’s cold in the passage, but it’s clear that heating the street is too expensive.
Nearby are the buildings of the Izmailovo Hotel and the Izmailovo Kremlin.
We come out of the passage, go straight, and there is some kind of homeless shopping center selling sausages in dough. Moscow, you are infinitely diverse :)
As an epilogue:
Never in our memory has a new type of transport been opened in Moscow (the monorail does not count). It will probably never open again; such miracles don’t happen very often.
We ourselves tried to come up with useful routes around Moscow for the MCC, but apart from transporting bikes to forest parks, we couldn’t come up with anything; all our routes will remain on the metro, minibuses and electric trains. We hope that Muscovites and guests of the capital will be able to adapt this type of transport to their needs, and this will at least ease the burden a little. Moscow metro and commuter trains.
What do you think about MCC?
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Reconstruction of the Moscow Central Circle (MCC)- a unique project not only for Moscow, but also for Russia as a whole. The MCC has become a full-fledged light metro, integrated into the metro system.
The MCC map is included in the capital's metro map. It shows the approximate time of ground transfers from the MCC.
In addition, the diagram indicates possible transfers from the MCC to ground urban transport, traffic intervals, etc.
Traffic around the ring was launched on September 10, 2016. This gave a new impetus to the development of abandoned industrial areas of the capital, and also made it possible to cut the Gordian knot of transport problems hanging over the capital.
The Moscow Central Circle is the road to the future. Thanks to the ring, trips around the capital take an average of 20 minutes. One more unique feature The MCC was that it connected the capital’s garden and park ensembles: the Mikhalkovo estate, Botanical Garden, the territory of VDNKh and National Park Losiny Island, Vorobyovy Gory nature reserve and others.
MCC is a new life for industrial zones of Moscow
Since 1908, the Moscow Central Circle served industrial zones and mainly performed the function of transporting goods. However, over time, many industrial areas around this ring fell into disrepair, and some industries closed. A number of industrial zones in best case scenario were used for warehouses. Now these territories are being actively reorganized, housing with social facilities, sports complexes, etc. are being built here. And developing territories require convenient transport connections.
The launch of passenger traffic along the MCC resolves the issue of transport support for industrial zones. In addition, the ring connected suburban trains and electric trains that go to the city center with MCC stations. Passengers can, before reaching the city center, transfer to MCC trains and move further throughout almost the entire territory of Moscow.
All MCC stations were built as transport hubs (TPU). They will include offices, shopping malls, shops and cafes. This concept meets both the interests of investors, for whom it is important to recoup investments in construction, and the needs of citizens.
(today there are 24 operating MCC stations) - a new Moscow transport designed to make movement in Moscow even more convenient. The first stage opened on September 10. On at the moment Twenty-four of the thirty-one stations are open for passenger use. Five stations have a covered passage to the metro, six have a passage to the metro across the street. By the end of October, 6 more stations will open.
24 open MCC stations - see the list below...
List of operating MCC stations:
- District (North-Eastern Administrative District and Northern Administrative District). Transfer to the same name railway station(Savelovskoe direction of the Moscow Railway), and in the future - to the new Okruzhnaya metro station. There is also a transfer to city ground transport - a bus.
- Baltic (SAO). Provides a transfer to the Voykovskaya metro station or city ground transport. Baltiyskaya station is connected by an overpass with shopping center“Metropolis”, and on the other side, nearby, almost right next to it, is the Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo park.
- Streshnevo (North Administrative Okrug and North-Western Administrative Okrug). Transfer to tram, trolleybus, bus. According to the plan, a transfer to the Riga direction railway line (new stopping station). P. S: by the way, we have a topic about .
- Shelepikha (TsAO). Provides transfer to the Testovskaya railway platform.
- Business center (southwestern part of the Central Administrative District). Large station on the MCC. Transfer to the Mezhdunarodnaya metro station. Located within walking distance from the Testovskaya railway station. According to the plan - parking and an underground passage to Moscow City.
- Kutuzovskaya (JSC), next to Kutuzovsky Prospekt. It is possible to transfer to the Kutuzovskaya metro station and to ground transport: trolleybus and bus.
- Luzhniki (TsAO). Station with "shore" platforms and a vestibule. Provides a transfer to the Sportivnaya metro station or to a city bus. According to plans, it is the Sportivnaya MCC station that will be most in demand during the period.
- Gagarin Square (JSC). Connected to the Leninsky Prospekt metro station (via an underground passage). Transfer to buses, trolleybuses and trams. This is the only MCC station that is underground.
- Crimean (Southern Administrative District and South-Western Administrative District). Transfer to the Sevastopolskaya railway station and public transport - bus.
- Upper boilers (Southern Administrative District). Located between the Nagatinskaya and Tulskaya metro stations. Connected with city buses, trolleybuses and trams. And also through a new platform with the Paveletsky direction railway.
- ZIL (northern part of the Southern Administrative District). Exit to the Ice Palace by inside MCC and to ground urban transport - along the outer side of the MCC.
- Avtozavodskaya (Southern Administrative District). Here you can change to the Avtozavodskaya metro station (along the street) and to ground transport (bus, trolleybus).
- Belokamennaya (VAO). Located within the boundaries of the Losiny Ostrov national park. Transfer to ground transport - bus. And by bus to the nearest metro station - “Rokossovsky Boulevard”.
- Botanical Garden (SVAD). Connected to the metro station of the same name by an underground pedestrian crossing. You can transfer to ground transport - a bus.
- Rokossovsky Boulevard (VAO). There is a transition to the metro station of the same name (Sokolnicheskaya line) and a transfer to a bus or tram.
- Likhobory (SAO). Connected to the railway, to the NATI platform (Leningrad direction). You can take a bus.
- Lokomotiv (VAO). Transfer (warm) to the Cherkizovskaya metro station (covered passage). You can transfer to a trolleybus or bus.
- Nizhny Novgorod (South Eastern Administrative District). Connected to the Karacharovo railway station (from the Kursk station) and by city bus. In 2018, a transition to the Nizhegorodskaya Street metro station will be available.
- Novokhokhlovskaya (South Eastern Administrative District). It is possible to transfer to a city bus and since 2017 - through the new platform you can transfer to railway(Kursk direction).
- District (North-Eastern Administrative District and Northern Administrative District). Transfer to the railway station of the same name (Savelovskoe direction of the Moscow Railway), and in the future - to the new Okruzhnaya metro station. There is also a transfer to city ground transport - a bus.
- Ugreshskaya (South Eastern Administrative District). From the station you can change to a bus, tram or trolleybus. Using ground transport (bus or tram) you can get to two metro stations - Kozhukhovskaya or Dubrovka.
- Izmailovo (VAO). Connected to the metro station on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line - “Partizanskaya”. It is possible to transfer to a bus, trolleybus and tram.
- Rostokino (NEAD). Transfer to the Severyanin railway station (Yaroslavl direction). A transfer to ground transport is also available - tram, bus, trolleybus.
- Vladykino (NEAD). Transfer to the metro station of the same name through an overpass. You can transfer to a bus or trolleybus.
Several more stations will be opened at the end of October 2016
List of currently closed MCC stations:
- Panfilovskaya- a complex station from an engineering point of view due to spatial limitations. It is about seven hundred meters away from the metro station (Oktyabrskoye Pole station).
- Sorge Street
- Koptevo
- Falcon Mountain
- Dubrovka