Koltsevaya line

#5 Koltsevaya line Koltsevaya line (Circle line)
Overview
LocaleMoscow
Stations12
Service
TypeRapid transit
SystemMoscow Metro
Operator(s)Moskovsky Metropoliten
Rolling stock81-775/776/777
History
Opened1 January 1950
Technical
Line length19.4 km (12.1 mi)
CharacterUnderground
Track gauge1,520 mm (4 ft 11+2732 in)
ElectrificationThird rail
Route map

Belorusskaya
Transfer for #2 Zamoskvoretskaya line at Belorusskaya Belorussky railway station Ground transferTransfer for #D1 Line D1 (Moscow Central Diameters) at Belorussky
Krasnaya Presnya yard
Krasnopresnenskaya
Transfer for #7 Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line at Barrikadnaya
Kiyevskaya
Transfer for #3 Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line at Kiyevskaya Transfer for #4 Filyovskaya line at KiyevskayaTransfer for #4A Filyovskaya line at Kiyevskaya Kiyevsky railway station
Park Kultury
Transfer for #1 Sokolnicheskaya line at Park Kultury
Oktyabrskaya
Transfer for #6 Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya line at Oktyabrskaya
Dobryninskaya
Transfer for #9 Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line at Serpukhovskaya
Paveletskaya
Paveletsky railway station Transfer for #2 Zamoskvoretskaya line at Paveletskaya
Taganskaya
Transfer for #7 Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line at Taganskaya Transfer for #8 Kalininskaya line at Marksistskaya
Kurskaya
Transfer for #3 Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line at Kurskaya Transfer for #10 Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line at Chkalovskaya Kursky railway station Transfer for #D2 Line D2 (Moscow Central Diameters) at Moscow Kursky
Komsomolskaya
Transfer for #1 Sokolnicheskaya line at Komsomolskaya Komsomolskaya Square (Moscow) Transfer for #D2 Line D2 (Moscow Central Diameters) at Kalanchyovskaya
Prospekt Mira
Transfer for #6 Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya line at Prospekt Mira
Suvorovskaya
Transfer for #10 Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line at Dostoevskaya
Novoslobodskaya
Transfer for #9 Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line at Mendeleyevskaya

The Koltsevaya line (Russian: Кольцева́я ли́ния, Ring line,[1] IPA: [kəlʲtsɨˈvajə ˈlʲinʲɪjə]) (Line 5) is a line of the Moscow Metro. The line was built in 1950–1954 as a circle route orbiting central Moscow, and became crucial to the transfer patterns of passengers. The stations of the line were built at the height of Stalinist architecture, and include Komsomolskaya, Novoslobodskaya and Kiyevskaya.

History

In the initial plans of the Metro's development, there was no provision for the Circle line. Instead it was planned for complete cross-city routes ("diameters") to cross the city centre with interchange stations at their intersections. However, after the opening of the second stage in 1938, it was clear from the excessive loads on those junctions, that this plan would be insufficient to deal with the growing number of passengers as the system expanded. An urban legend suggests that Joseph Stalin himself suggested the line when he placed a coffee cup on the original development map (with no ring) and then lifting it and leaving a circular stain around the centre of the city and said "It's your main fault, it should be built". It is thought this is the reason for the line's brown colour on all metro maps.[citation needed]

In principle, the alignment of the ring was also debated, whether to use the Garden Ring avenue that encircles the centre or a wider circumference. In the end, it was decided to partially align the southern path along the Sadovoye Koltso, and let the northern part deviate to connect most of Moscow's rail terminals. This solved a major logistical problem, because, due to the layout of Russia's railroads, it would be impossible to travel from a region on one side of Moscow to another without having to make a manual transfer from one terminal to another.[citation needed]

Construction began shortly after the end of the war. The first stage was opened in 1950 from Park Kultury to Kurskaya. In 1952, a second segment completed the northern deviation up to Belorusskaya and in 1954, the circumference was linked.

The construction of the ring allowed for massive changes in the passenger flow patterns around Moscow and allowed a systematic development platform for many future lines. A total of seven radial lines began at the ring, four of which later linked up in the centre to become diameters.

Timeline

Segment Date opened Length
Park KulturyKurskaya 1 January 1950 6.5 km
KurskayaBelorusskaya 30 January 1952 7.0 km
BelorusskayaPark Kultury 14 March 1954 5.9 km
Total 19.4 km

Name changes

Station Previous name(s) Years
Park Kultury Tsentralnyi Park Kultury i Otdykha Imeni Gorkogo 1950–1980
Oktyabrskaya Kaluzhskaya 1950–1961
Dobryninskaya Serpukhovskaya 1950–1961
Prospekt Mira Botanicheskiy Sad 1952–1966

Stations

The Koltsevaya line, unlike other lines of Moscow Metro, does not service any stations that belong to that line exclusively; rather, all its stations are transfer stations, linking to other lines, as shown below:

Station Name Transfers
English Russian
↑ Loop line towards Park Kultury
Kiyevskaya Киевская Transfer for #3 Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line at Kiyevskaya Kiyevskaya
Transfer for #4 Filyovskaya line at Kiyevskaya Kiyevskaya
Krasnopresnenskaya Краснопресненская Transfer for #7 Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line at Barrikadnaya Barrikadnaya
Belorusskaya Белорусская Transfer for #2 Zamoskvoretskaya line at Belorusskaya Belorusskaya
#D1 Line D1 (Moscow Central Diameters) #D4 Line D4 (Moscow Central Diameters) Belorusskaya
Novoslobodskaya Новослободская Transfer for #9 Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line at Mendeleyevskaya Mendeleyevskaya
Suvorovskaya Суворовская Transfer for #10 Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line at Dostoevskaya Dostoevskaya
Prospekt Mira Проспект Мира Transfer for #6 Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya line at Prospekt Mira Prospekt Mira
Komsomolskaya Комсомольская Transfer for #1 Sokolnicheskaya line at Komsomolskaya Komsomolskaya
#D2 Line D2 (Moscow Central Diameters) #D4 Line D4 (Moscow Central Diameters) Kalanchyovskaya
Kurskaya Курская Transfer for #3 Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line at Kurskaya Kurskaya
Transfer for #10 Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line at Chkalovskaya Chkalovskaya
#D2 Line D2 (Moscow Central Diameters) #D4 Line D4 (Moscow Central Diameters) Kurskaya
Taganskaya Таганская Transfer for #7 Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line at Taganskaya Taganskaya
Transfer for #8 Kalininskaya line at Marksistskaya Marksistskaya
Paveletskaya Павелецкая Transfer for #2 Zamoskvoretskaya line at Paveletskaya Paveletskaya
Dobryninskaya Добрынинская Transfer for #9 Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line at Serpukhovskaya Serpukhovskaya
Oktyabrskaya Октябрьская Transfer for #6 Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya line at Oktyabrskaya Oktyabrskaya
Park Kultury Парк культуры Transfer for #1 Sokolnicheskaya line at Park Kultury Park Kultury
↓ Loop line towards Kiyevskaya

Rolling stock

The line is serviced by the Krasnaya Presnya depot (No.4) and was the first one to adopt the 81-717/714 model trains in 1978. But replacement of those models by the 81–740.4/81-741.4, which started operating in revenue service on the line since early 2010, was completed by 1 December 2011.[2] Four 81-717/714 trains from the Krasnaya Presnya depot in 2011—2018 were in service on Filevskaya line. In 2020, brand new trains entered service and by June 2021, they completely replaced the 81-740.4/741.4 on the line.

Subway car types used on the line over the years:

-Series G: 1950–1983

-Series 81-717: 1978–2011

-Series 81-740.4: 2009–2021

-Series 81-775: 2020–present

Recent developments and future plans

Today the line is one of busiest, and the ever-rising passenger flows during rush hours are noticeably felt as most of the stations are over half a century old. In 1998, a second entrance was opened at Belorusskaya and there are plans to equip Park Kultury and Komsomolskaya with similar ones.

Many restoration works are carried out to improve the old line, recently Novoslobodskaya had major restoration work carried out, including replacement of lighting and retouching on the stained glass masterpieces by Pavel Korin. The vestibule of Taganskaya was closed in 2005 to replace old escalators and upgrade with new turnstiles and also cosmetically renovate it, this was re-opened in 2006, and shortly afterwards Dobryninskaya followed suit for a similar upgrade.

Despite the fact that when opened, there were six stations left for future transfer provisions, this turned out to be too small for the growing system. Metro planned two additional stations on the line Suvorovskaya, which connect to the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line and Rossiyskaya, which would connect to the Kalininsko-Solntsevskaya line. Some preliminary work had been performed on Suvorovskaya. In 2017, Metro terminated plans for both stations. A manager for the system indicated that the stations were unlikely to be completed as they were too technically complex, too long, and too costly to compete. Consequently, Vasiliev stated that the station was unlikely to be built.[3] On August 19, 2019, works on Suvorovskaya station construction site resumed.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Kol'tsevaya (Circle) Line". Moscow Metro. Archived from the original on 2009-03-24. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
  2. ^ "Московский Метрополитен / Пресс-служба / Новости". Archived from the original on 2012-06-08. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
  3. ^ "Строительство новых станций в центре Москвы экономически нецелесообразно". Interfax. 2017-03-22.
  4. ^ "Строительство станции Суворовская возобновлено". 2019-08-19.[dead YouTube link].

External links

KML is from Wikidata
  • Photos of the Koltcevaya line on Virtual photogallery Metro (RU)
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