MOSCOW City Government has launched a campaign for better integration of railway, metro, tram and bus operations in the Russian capital. Gibb Rail has been appointed to help with developing a long-term transport strategy, and Project Implementation Director Ekaterina Popova visited the firm in January to discuss ways of raising investment funds.
The Head of Moscow’s Transport Department Alexander Korsakov says the key priority for the next five years is to make the best use of each mode at a time when resources are scarce.
Korsakov estimates that over 9 million passengers a day are using the 160 stations on the city’s 260 km metro network, with almost 13 million carried by tram, bus and trolleybus services.
On the suburban network, 1300 trains are carrying 1·5 million passengers a day in and out of the city, while long-distance services handle a further 600000.
With metro construction largely curtailed for lack of finance, the city is looking at modernising tram routes to light rail standards, and building new light rail lines. A small-profile automated metro is also envisaged in the city centre. Conversion of RZD’s Moscow Belt Railway freight line into a high-capacity commuter route is due to be completed by 2005 (RG 7.99 p419).
