MOSCOW Metro says Rizhskaya station on the Kaluzhsko – Rizhskaya Line 6 will become one of the largest rail hubs in Moscow with the under-construction Moscow Central Diameters (MCD) set to connect three above-ground metro lines, two underground metro lines, suburban rail services and in future Russia’s first proposed high-speed line.

“The Rizhskaya hub will improve transport accessibility of the three Moscow metropolitan areas: Meshchansky, Alexeyevsky and Maryina Roscha,” says deputy mayor of Moscow for transport, Mr Maksim Liksutov. “Residents will have convenient interchanges between these three regions, passengers in turn will have fast and comfortable interchanges between different modes of transport. This hub will emerge through the formation of a new transport framework that we are creating on behalf of the Moscow mayor.”

Passengers will be able to interchange between different modes of the transport using the covered above-ground crossing, including to Line 6 and the Big Circle Line (BCL), MCD 2, MCD 3, MCD 4 and surface transport. The Rizhskaya hub will also become one of the stations for the proposed 680km Moscow – St Petersburg high-speed line, which would reduce travel times between the cities by 2h 30min.

The area surrounding the hub will be renovated, and taxi and public transport parking facilities will be available. All MCD stations features elevators, escalators, and cash registers for passengers with reduced mobility.

The MCD is an at-grade metro which allows passengers to travel between the suburbs and the city centre, as well as interchanging with the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) and other surface transport. MCD consists of 60 stations with 21 interchanges.

The 70km BCL is due to open in 2022, with 32 stations, and will also provide transfers to all radial metro lines, MCC and MCD. The future 82km MCD 3 is due to open in 2023, with 43 stations, along with MCD 4 which will have 28 interchanges with the metro, MCC and other diameter lines. MCD 5 is due to open in 2025.

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