Public Transportation System of Moscow

Moscow is the largest city in Russia with a population of over 10 million people. An estimated 1.5 million commuters arrive in Moscow every day, so the public transportation system is very busy.

Moscow Metro is the largest subway system in Russia and also its oldest. The first metro stations appeared in 1930s and the new stations are being added up to this day. Some of the older metro stations are very ornate. They are richly decorated with marble statues, frescoes, ornate chandeliers, and various Soviet symbols.

Apart from the subway system Moscow has a well-developed network of buses, trams, and trolleys servicing all districts of the city. Major routes are also serviced by express busses and, of course, the ubiquitous yellow taxis.

Recently the city administration embarked on a new transportation project to develop a network of the monorail roads. Currently a short 5km track of monorail is in service which connects 6 stations along the route from the Timiryazevskaya Metro station to the Botanichesky Sad.

Metro - Opened in 1935, Moscow Metro is the largest subway system in Russia. It consists of 12 major lines connecting 171 stations located around the entire territory of Moscow. Although not as convenient for short rides within the city center, the Metro is the fastest way to get across entire city

Taxis - The general perception is that taxis have become more user-friendly, as a growing number of private taxi operators are competing to attract more customers offering them better vehicles and a host of new services

Monorail - This new type of public transportation in Moscow was officially opened in 2004. Currently trains commute every 30 minutes and expanded service is planned to start at a later date. One can travel from the Timiryazevskaya Metro station to the VDNH Exhibition in just 10 minutes

Express Buses - These swift letter-K vans may come up to a bus stop so fast that you may not even have time to decide whether you need to get in or not! Jokes aside, this growing niche of express bus service (also known as marshrutnoe taksi or marshrutka) offers taxi-like speed at the bus-level prices

Trolleybuses - These environmentally-friendly buses service many districts on Moscow. Although not as fast as other public means of transportation, they can provide a pleasant ride around downtown as long as you watch your pockets and understand directions in Russian

Trams - Known for their red color, trams run from 6:00am till 1:00am. Although many tram lines in the city center have been terminated due to traffic congestion concerns, you can still experience tram rides along selected streets in downtown, as well as use an extensive tram network in the outskirts of the city

Buses - The second largest system of public transportation provides an efficient way of getting around the city center and all districts of Moscow. Both local and long-distance bus service is available

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