Central transport hub (CTH): plan and development map

Moscow authorities announced large-scale plans for the development of suburban railway transport by 2030: following the launch of MCD-5, it is planned to connect the cities of the Central Transport Hub by electric trains.

TsTU is a network of high-speed trains that will connect Moscow with the nearest regions: Tula, Kaluga, Vladimir, Ivanovo and seven other regions. At the moment, the first stage of the project is being actively implemented: the creation of the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD).

Almost 75% of all suburban transportation in the country is currently carried out between the regions that will be part of the CTU. The authorities plan to create a network of new transport branches and optimize old infrastructure in order to improve transport accessibility for the population of the Moscow region and its surrounding regions.

Construction of the MCD

The first stage was the launch of the above-ground metro – the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD). The first lines – MCD-1 and MCD-2 – opened for passengers in November 2019. Every day they carry an average of 620 thousand passengers.

MCD-1 “Belorussko-Savelovsky” connected Odintsovo and Lobnya near Moscow. With the opening of train service, transport accessibility has improved for residents of 20 Moscow districts. MCD-2 “Kursko-Rizhsky” from Nakhabino to Podolsk has simplified travel for residents of almost 30 districts.

At the end of August 2023, train traffic was opened on the third Moscow Central Diameter – Leningradsko-Kazansky, connecting Zelenograd with the town of Ramenskoye near Moscow. Now D3 helps approximately 426 thousand passengers a day get to their desired destination. The total length of this transport line is 85 km. There are 38 stations operating on it, and three more will open a little later: Malino, Rizhskaya and Mitkovo.

Train traffic on MCD-4 Kaluzhsko-Nizhegorodsky opened on September 9, 2023. The new line connected Aprelevka with the Zheleznodorozhny microdistrict of Balashikha. D4 includes 36 stations, two more will open in the future – Begovaya and Rizhskaya. The length of the fourth diameter is 86 km. At the moment this is the longest line of the above-ground metro.

In the future, a fifth diameter will appear in Moscow – Yaroslavsko-Paveletsky. This is a large-scale transport project that will connect the Moscow region cities of Pushkino, Shchelkovo and Domodedovo. It is planned that D5 will include 39 stations. To implement the project, it is necessary to unite the Yaroslavl and Paveletsk directions of the Moscow Railway, which are currently separate. Urban planners intend to solve this problem by building a tunnel under the center of Moscow. It is assumed that the underground section will pass under the Rizhsky railway station, the Stalinist high-rise near the Krasnye Vorota metro station, the Zaryadye park and the Paveletsky railway station. The tunnel will be connected to Moscow metro stations.

Railway connections between Moscow and regional centers

The next stage in the development of the CTU will be the improvement of railway communications between the capital and the regional centers of the nearest regions. By 2030, it is planned to significantly reduce the intervals of commuter trains and update the rolling stock. Now residents of cities such as Tula, Tver, Ryazan have to wait from 45 minutes to three hours for the arrival of a suburban electric train. It is expected that in seven years, commuter trains between Moscow and CTU cities will run every 20–30 minutes during peak hours.

The central transport hub will cover 11 constituent entities of the Russian Federation – Moscow, as well as the Moscow, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Smolensk, Tula, Kaluga, Ryazan and Tver regions.

New trains from Moscow are planned to be launched to Kaluga, Tver, Tula, Ryazan, Yaroslavl, Smolensk, Rzhev, Kalyazin, Kostroma, Ivanovo and Novomoskovsk.

Almost 75% of all suburban transportation in the country is currently carried out between the regions that will be part of the CTU. The authorities set the task of making them more comfortable and perfect. To do this, they developed a federal program for the development of central technical centers. It is planned that after its adoption and approval, it will be implemented jointly with the Moscow government and Russian Railways.

Investments and benefits for the population

Moscow authorities said that as part of the project, the railway infrastructure will be updated. It is planned to launch Russian-made trains on the CTU lines.

In 2023, about 35 billion rubles will be spent on the development of CTU facilities, and 37.3 billion in 2023.

About 31 million people live in the regions that the CTU will connect. It is planned that by 2030, when the project infrastructure is fully ready, transport links can be optimized for almost a quarter of the Russian population.

Marina Kolokolova